By Your Enrapture
by Traingham
Summary: Get lost in a world where Dark Mistresses hold the darkness of night in the palm of their hands. Immerse yourself in tales of eternal rivalry and unrequited romance where passion is a way of life. Welcome to the world of vice. Pleasure is just a bite away
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter One: As if Nothing Changed_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Negi Springfield, a young man who was hired at the all female school of Mahora campus was a popular teacher among the young women who attended and even the upperclassmen of Ursula campus whom always worked hard to find ways to steal him and have him transfer over to their campus. He was a compassionate young man with a welcoming, charismatic presence wherever he went, however, he was also an enigma to those who knew him. He had the burden of many secrets that made it difficult for him to get close to others easily, though that may have been an exception for Evangeline McDowell who seemed to hold even deeper secrets than he did, being the reason for his vampirism. Their relationship was quite complicated given the nature of how it all began or rather what lead to the feelings that had developed between them. Unfortunately, despite the time that had passed since they really had started to break the walls between them, there still appeared to be something that kept them from actually bonding any further than the master-disciple relationship that gradually developed into the complex friendship that they presently shared. Fate would only know what trials they would have to face before it was able to venture any further._ (As in "fate", not the character.)  
_

Life had been fairly calm for Negi since the unforgettable, final two days he spent at the Mahora fesitval two years ago. The experiences that he had gone through on those heart pounding days always served as a reminder to him of how dark and powerful the abilities Evangeline endowed him with were, and just how devastating the consequences could be if they weren't properly kept in check. It also served to motivate him to become stronger because of what had transpired between him and a woman that somehow managed to find a place in his heart by the name of Dorothy Summers. Everytime he looked back on that night, the only image he could remember was the final look on her face as she sighed out her last breath. It would haunt him forever. Since the girl's exposure to magic, he had been able to forge deeper bonds with them, as well as form bonds with those girls who weren't as close before. Chisame Hasegawa was proof of that, remaining true to her self, however, her lacking effort in the young magi's class had suddenly taken a change, becoming a noticable driving force during his lessons. The introvert young woman started to make appearances at the afterschool sessions that he held after classes, though her classmates doubted her ever needing the extra help, and even went so far as to encourage Negi to accompany her to some of the cosplay conventions that she attended. The girls weren't sure what was the root of their sudden closeness, however, it didn't strike them nearly as much as the unexpected friendship that had blossomed between the young magi and Mana Tatsumiya.

The lovely marksman had gradually developed an unexpected relationship with Negi that vexed the other girls and made them boil with feelings of jealousy. It wasn't that they saw the chilling young woman as an outsider to their tightly knit class, but they just couldn't understand how a girl as frightening as herself could ever become so close to Negi. Sure, it was apparent that he had _"grown"_ and matured a bit from before, but they still couldn't help but feel protective of him, if not just slightly possessive if one were to use the term ever so lightly. It wasn't as if they scowled at the new freshman students that tried to move in on their precious teacher, no, that wasn't how it was at all...honest to gawd. Mana's bond with Negi was something that didn't sit well, though. The both of them met with each other after classes almost everyday, including the late afternoons that followed after Negi's afterschool sessions, and Kaede and Setsuna once reported seeing them together on the steps of the Tatsumiya shrine. Questions to the young teacher only got innocent responses regarding the matter no matter how hard the girls pressed in hopes of unvieling more to his mysterious friendship with the lovely marksman. Negi was not completely oblivious to the negative attention he recieved from the other girls by being close to Mana, however, there was something about the lovely Tatsumiya that told him that if he ever showed any indications of discomfort about their friendship, there would be a rubber bullet with his name on it. His time with her told him that much about the young woman. She had feeling too, after all.

_Any attachment from me might not be healthy for you, she says_. Negi thought to himself, recalling one of his many conversations with the mysterious young woman as his hand glided along the blackboard with his white stick of chalk. Those were words that he could have sworn he heard from her before they even began their odd friendship, not long after the festival had ended. It was a full moon that night, and the experience was one that he would always look back on as the night he truly realized how dark the secrets of a womans heart could be compared to the darkness of night. The moon and the twinkling stars of the evening sky could not even illuminate the dark depths that concealed the secrets Mana kept hidden from the world. Negi could only imagine how deep Evangeline's heart could go. He would probably never find a way out after he got in too deep. He tired his best to ignore the whispering behind his back since his supernatural hearing kept any of his student's conversations from getting past his ears. All they ever spoke about now were the typical issues that all growing young women spoke and gossiped about; college plans, novel romances, and his '_odd activities_' as of lately. The development of his vampiric abililities over the years were something more of a curse now that they had gone a bit beyond his control again. Evangeline was doing her best not to punish Negi for the tea cups he had mistakenly shattered in the past with his inability to control his inhuman strength. He could picture the look of murder Chachazero possibly directed at him when he mistakenly bent one of her favorite blades upon curious inspection of one of them. The puppet didn't look his way for about a week afterwards.

Apparently Kazumi and Haruna were keeping tabs of his activities as well since they were presently a popular subject among the girls of his class. Besides his well known hang outs with the dorming "Gun-for-hire", he had been making daily visits to the library late at night. Being that Yue usually took the night shift after Haruna was done with the afternoon shift, having nothing better to do around that time on a regular school night, some rumors began to fly around in regard to her and Negi much to the short librarian's embarassment and gradually building frustration since the young magi wouldn't even consider acting upon the temptations that her classmates thought up. She had been open about her feelings to him already, once sharing a kiss with him that effectively kept him from looking at her the same way again and yet she still sensed a lingering hesitation in him. By now, she had grown annoyed with Nodoka's indecision to pick her relationship with the young magi up a notch. The short librarian inwardly hoped that another guy would soon take an interest in her friend and relieve her of the weight that found itself on her shoulders whenever she shared a moment with Negi. She had her suspicions about Haruna taking an interest in him as well. It wasn't nearly as easy to pick up as most of the other girls in the class, but ever since Negi began to show signs of clear maturity in his bodily appearance, a flame had began burning. This was not to say that Nodoka had not become a little more forward in her pursuits than before. Negi's meetings with her were probably much more awkward than others with the quiet girl's indecision to ask him a direct question in regard to his situation with Mana. Living with Asuna and Konoka did not serve to help matters much either. The bubbly young woman was pretty blunt whenever certain things came to her mind, while the red-head had her own methods in tormenting him about her suspicions.

Negi's only means of escape from all of his bothersome students was to run to his master, Evangeline McDowell, who he personally felt, enjoyed finding him at her door, pleading for her protection. Chachamaru, however, seemed to be suffering from the same symptoms of jealousy that the other girls were undergoing. His cooking lessons under her tutelage, behind the dark mistress's back had it's moments when the lovely gynoid seemed to favor conversation over instructing him on how to boil water the proper way, which no matter how insignificant it appeared to be, was an important part in the success of a gourmet dish. As for _"Her deep darkness" _as Negi 'affectionately' labeled her, she did not seem to care what the young magi was up to while he wasn't in her company, as long as he was not late for their evening training sessions and joined her for a drink afterwards. Any divergence from their traditional get togethers brought upon an interrogation, which, coming from Evangeline, was something that could leave any person traumatized afterwards unless, of course, they were familiar with her, in which case, they would be left with plaguing nightmares that sung melodies of impending doom. Negi reminded himself never to skip out on a drink with Evangeline again, lest he crave anymore of the late night episodes that left him bitterly, shivering it their wake.

Chachazero remained as loyal to Negi as she ever had been, refusing to leave his side under any condition that so foolishly dared to come between them. That was with the exception of showers, which even then she would attempt to stay close, sitting just outside the shower chamber. She also remained loyal to hersel, never willing to change her morbid ways, regardless of how hard her master tried to shake her free from them. When Negi finally came to the realization that his efforts would never cause the puppet to waver in her nature, he submitted to her and accepted it, even presenting her with a new set of blades for _"Familiar Aprreciation Month". _She was beginning to show a side of herself that worked on his nerves, however, getting very restless from the lack of adventure, and Negi was seriously feeling worn out from her whining. As much as he treasured his familiar, he was gradually beginning to understand why Evangeline couldn't stand the puppet. His undying tolerance and compassion kept him from being as expressive about his irritation though.

Two years did a lot to campus life, but with the absence of Gandolfini and his squadron of mages, there was really no cause for chaos, and with Takane and Mei neglecting their visit, Negi found that he could breathe easily. The blonde magistress took Negi up on his offer for her to visit more than willingly and always did her best to make up for the lost time between them whenver she decided to show up, causing major headaches for the young magi since Evangeline's mood tended to become rather unpredictable during the period of those visits. On one instance, Takane decided to come to Mahora without Mei. The days that followed were simply restless. Naturally, Takane's hidden infatuation with the young man was not the only factor the kept Negi on his toes. Ako played another factor in the young magi's quick paced life. Her affections for his false identity, _"Nagi"_, provided him with the duty of keeping her from falling into deep deppressions. Once, he believed that the rocker had forgotten all about her relationship with the strapping bishonen, and tossed the alter persona away. What he didn't count on was the lack of interaction from _"Nagi"_ causing Ako to lock herself in her room with nothing, but a box of tissues to keep her company. The emails that flooded his account the following week were enough to make a man fear the wrath of women, and question their loyalty, seeing as how some of the emails questioned the possibilities of new blossoming relationships. Such times of sadness also caused another side to rise from the normally timid young woman causing Negi to question whether his days from the past were still catching up with him.

**_..._**

**_..._**

_(Ako chatting: "Ako")_

_(Dark Ako chatting: **"D. Ako")**_

_**-Dekopin-zumi:** Nagi, OMG. I didn't kno that u were signed on! It's always so hard 2 get a hold of u but I guess that's to b expected since I'm sure ur always busy coming to the service of needy civillians. So what's new?_

Negi looked around to check if Konoka was still around before typing back...

_**-Nagi.:** Me and the others are currently stationed in Brazil. The sun is beating down on us so hard that I'm getting a tan._

_Chachazero offered Negi a thumbs up from her seat on his lap..._

_**-Dekopin-zumi: **_lol. Must be pretty **hot down there. Are you wearing a shirt right now?**_  
_

Negi stared at the screen for a few seconds before turning to Chachazero and asking, "How do I respond to that?"

"Act natural." Chachazero replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

_**-Nagi.: **I couldn't keep it on. It was just blazing._

**_-Dekopin-zumi: Yummy._**

"Hmm?" Negi looked at her last response, quirking an eyebrow before typing slowly.

**_-Nagi.: _**_Huh? Are you eating something right now?_

_**-Dekopin-zumi: No, but I am craving something special now that you mention it.**_

"Uh...master Negi..." Chachazero mumbled after reading Ako's response on the screen.

"Yeah?" Negi looked down at her innocently, clearly misunderstanding te course of his current chat. Despite all of the questionable experiences he'd already been through with the opposite sex, Negi still retained a sense of naivety that Chachazero wasn't sure to classify as charming or downright dangerous. When she realized that her message wasn't going to reach him anytime soon, she merely shook her head and responded, "Never mind."

"Are you alright."

"Nothing is bothering me." Chachazero replied quickly, breaking eye contact with her master.

"You sur-"

"Hey, don't keep her waiting." The puppet cut him off before he could get any more worried about her. She found that was something about him that she liked, yet was annoyed by as well. Evangeline had shown similar feelings towards his compassionate nature as well, however, she was the type to express her annoyance in frightening ways.

"Oh, you're right." Negi snapped back towards the business at hand.

_**-Nagi.:** What's that?_

_**-Dekopin-zumi: Why don't you guess?**_

_**-Nagi.:** We're talking about food, right?_

**_..._**

**_..._**

Most of their online conversations usually had an odd tendency to end off topic, or at least that is what Negi personally felt. Sure, he wasn't nearly as naive as he once was, but sometimes he wasn't sure if he and Ako were ever on the same page whenever they spoke to each other. On their last conversation, Ako tried her hardest to convince him to visit the following week so he had some planning to do. "Dark Ako" happened to only be one piece of a very complex puzzle, however. It wasn't long ago that Makie started to show signs of succumbing to her own sinister side. Falling into a trap she laid for him through an invitation to see her after the end of one of her gymnastic events was an experience that taught him quite a bit about how mischievous the girl can get when under the wrong influence. It was probably only Makie's playfulness that allowed Negi to escape from that encounter without as much trouble as he expected. Since then, she had not been as active, giving Negi the impression that she had somehow regained a sense of control over her dark ego. Madoka almost lost herself as well, sharing an awkward experience with him in the past that they promised to keep between themselves. Ah, life was a hassle, but it goes on...

Negi turned away from the board, sighing at finally having written down the explanation of Hamlet's soliloquy in regard to death. Yue, Chachamaru, and Sayo were the three most attentive girls of the group, while the others seemed to be either on the verge of falling asleep or merely engaged in their own personal activities. Evangeline had her attention directed towards the window as usual with her cheek resting against a closed fist. Negi didn't mind her attention being elsewhere, however, since having her eyes on him didn't give him such a pleasing feeling. She only did that whenever she wanted something from him or when she was planning something simply evil, or mischievous. Chachamaru on the other hand gave off the impression that she wanted him to know that he had her attention, her eyes following, much like she was just awaiting some sudden move from him. The gynoid did have a history of being caught doing otherwise though. This came to his attention when he called he to read during a previous lesson, only to find her "sleeping" with her eyes open. The other girls did their best not to look blank when he had his eyes on them, but he already knew who was really paying attention while he had his back turned to them. Regardless, he feigned ignorance and offered them all an innocent smile, asking, "So does anyone want to give me their view on the explanation?" His eyes did a cursory of the room to find all of his students with the exception of Yue and Sayo, looking eagerly to catch his eyes...or at least as eager as the short librarian could make herself seem in that situation. Chachamaru raised her hand, but eagerness was an emotion Negi had yet to see from her in all of his time knowing her.

"Alright then..." Negi briefly rolled his eyes when he heard his faithful familiar cackle to herself from her seat on his desk. His eyes fell on Yue, getting an odd reaction out of Nodoka as she flinched and muttered he even couldn't make out. "Would you like to give it a a shot, Yue?" He asked the librarian, quickly sending an apologizing look in the cute ghost's direction when she deflated from his selection. Yue nodded at his words, a soft blush gracing her cheeks from the attention she was getting from all the other girls for obvious reasons before she went on, saying, "He is unaware of what awaits him beyond death, which would explain why he refers to the state of dying as some 'unknown country'."

"Nice observation." Negi said with a nod.

"Um...wait." Konoka's voice got Negi's attention. "He was thinking about committing suicide?"

"Weren't you paying any attention?" Asuna questioned her friend sarcastically.

"Traitor." Ayaka chuckled at the red-head, leaning back in her seat to look at her with a cocky grin.

"Shut up." She snapped back at the blonde.

"You didn't let her finish." Setsuna silenced both girls. The swordsman turned her attention back to Konoka when the young woman looked back at her and nodded for her to go on.

"...Okay..." Konoka mumbled, a blush creeping up her neck as she turned back to Negi. "My question is, what would killing himself solve? I thought he was trying to avenge his father. Wouldn't ending his life just...prevent any of that? How does that help anything?" She asked, never expecting her answer to come from a certain vampiress in the back of the classroom. Negi felt some movement from his master, turning to her when she looked away from the window with that _'oh-so-evil'_ smirk on her face.

"Because he was looking for a means of escape." Evangeline answered her with a cynical giggle, though her expression betrayed none of her concealed thoughts as her emerald eyes swiveled to Negi in a fashion that could have possibly made his blood run dry under the tension. The way she regarded him...was she directing that laugh at him or was there something more to the way she was looking at him? Negi shifted way from those thoughts when she opened her mouth to speak again, _"An easy way out for mortals..."_

Mana smirked, sending cold vibes through her sensei as she leaned back in her seat slightly. "Suicide is for the weak of heart." Her eyes regarded Negi as if she was communicating to him with silent words as well. "Don't you think so, sensei?"

"Suicide..." Negi spoke the word curiously as though it was something completely foreign to him. The young magi looked away from his students with a distant look on his face, leaving Mana with silence for an answer. Mana chuckled softly at his reaction to her words, closing her eyes. Evangeline smirked at his response to the question and decided to leave a little impression.

_What is death to an immortal? _The vampiress chuckled darkly to herself when she saw Negi flinch at her telepathic message to him. _Eventually we become so powerful that even our own natural weaknesses become nothing to us. The promised escape of death slips through our hands, and we are left with nothing but eternity. Say Negi..._

_Yes?_ Negi responded to her with a slight tremble in his thoughts.

_Can you imagine what it would be like to never be able to sleep?_

_...It would be tiring..._

_Exactly..._

_What's your point?_

_Now imagine how it feels when everyone else around you can. They can escape reality in their sweet dreams, but you are chained to the hardships, pains, and sorrows of reality._

_There are the pleasures of reality as well...aren't there?_ Negi asked, but she offered him no answer. "...An escape?" The young magi whispered in another approach to receive a response from the chibi-vampire, but before he could express his discomfort to his master, he felt her mind recede from his. The channel between them closed and the bell rang, snapping everyone out of their concentrated dazes. The girls started gathering their notebooks and other belongings into their bags with the exception of Mana, who probably had plans to invite him up to the shrine to meditate with her, however, Setsuna seemed to anticipate this, following Negi back to his desk when he went back to prepare his leave as well.

"Negi-kun," The swordsman dropped her bag with it's chocobo head key chain on his desk to get his attention, "Do you have any plans after school?"

"Um," The young magi's eyes glanced over her shoulder for a quick second to find that Mana had just left the room without a glance back at him. _I guess she figured this canceled her plans._ He thought, wondering how the marksman felt about this unforeseen intervention. Setsuna grew impatient when she realized that he had been looking over her shoulder for Mana, and she called his attention again with a slight edge in her voice. "Negi, well?"

"Sorry about that." He apologized sheepishly, realizing that he had been caught looking away from her. "No, I don't have any plans."

"Good to hear." Setsuna nodded with a grin. "Then that means that you wouldn't have a problem with squeezing in some time with me for the day, right?"

Negi massaged his right shoulder, unsure of what the young woman's motives were. "I guess not."

"Then let's be on our way."

"What are we exactly doing?"

"Training, of course." Setsuna replied, stopping for him at the doorway of the classroom. "And anything else afterwards if you want." Her expression bordered on stoic as she spoke, making it harder for Negi to read her then before. She was, however, one of the saner students in his class, so he felt that there really was no reason to fear anything getting out of control.

"Do you mind waiting for me outside then?" Negi requested, shifting to the side uncomfortably. Setsuna blinked curiously as his behavior, observing his odd body language. It wasn't until she reviewed her current position that she realized how silly it was for her to be so suspicious about his need for privacy. She nodded and took her leave, but not before sparing him a final look over her shoulder. Although he had his right to privacy, there was always an air of mystery about the young magi that piqued her curiosity.

"Thank you." Negi whispered quietly before crouching down under his desk to retrieve a duffel bag. He unzipped the side compartment to reach in for the cooling pack that was tucked inside and unclipped it to get his hands on to the blood pack that awaited him inside. _I've been craving this all afternoon._ The young vampire thought to himself with a sigh, opening the top desk drawer on the right to take out a wrapped straw. After getting it out of its plastic wrapper, he poked it into the pack to take a long, satisfying gulp of the crimson fluid. His issues with drinking blood had mellowed a bit. He still did not feel comfortable with drinking it straight from the flesh, much to Evangeline's embarrassment as a master. Sure, he explained to her that he felt it was like violating a person, which it was, but she still wasn't about to be very understanding about it.

"Hmm, with the way you gulp that down, you even make someone like me thirsty." Chachazero remarked as she stood up on the desk, getting her master's attention. "Eva-san would probably smile if she was here to witness this. Now all you've got to do is get over your phobia of breaking the skin."

"Yeah, well eighty minutes with the girls will do that to someone." Negi replied, pulling the straw away from his lips. He licked a drop that was on the verge of trickling down his chin and went on, "I remember how crazy they were in our earlier years together, but now I'm thinking that they're getting way too aggressive for me to handle. Did you see how Ayaka-san greeted me this morning?" He almost got shivers down his neck just thinking about it. "If her hand went down any further, she might have pinched me."

"Yeah..." Chachazero nodded her head slowly, crossing her arms. "...Hands go chop, chop."

"No. Her hands are staying where they belong."

"But master..."

"She's just doing what...most girls do...I think."

"Kagurazaka doesn't do it." Chachazero argued.

"She's in love with Takamichi-sensei. You know that."

"Izumi doesn't...nevermind."

"I've actually been thinking about that." Negi said, stroking his chin. "Shouldn't there be a way to cure that?"

"...Even if there was, any self respecting vampire wouldn't reveal that information." Chachazero replied. "I mean, don't you think Eva-san would have done that long ago if it was possible?"

"Sometimes I forget that she was even human once."

"Well, I wasn't around when she was either. She'd already gone _"black in the heart"_ by the time she put me together."

"Black in the heart?" Negi raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Her expression for evil."

"Oh...do you think that happens to everyone?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I mean, the world wasn't exactly sunshine and flowers for your type back in the day. There were vampire hunters constantly on the move, and the inquisition wasn't too hot about sorcery and witchcraft either. You've heard of those witch trials, right?" The puppet asked Negi.

"Yeah."

"She's had her share of burning and drowning." Chachazero cackled much to her master's growing disturbance. "Back when she was a weakling, playing dead was her thing."

_Master playing dead?_ Negi couldn't possibly picture Evangeline floating like a dead body in a lake just to keep a bunch of paranoid psychos from wrangling her up with clubs to finish the job that the water failed to accomplish. She had more pride than that, and he didn't even want to think about how she looked like after being burned at the stakes. That must have been like...urgh. "I can't see Eva doing that sort of thing."

"Hmm, I guess not, but you've got to do what is necessary to survive."

"I guess." Negi decided to lighten the conversation a bit before he got sick from the horror. "Well, dealing with the girls is enough for me. I'd hate to experience a fourth of what she did."

"Can you blame them?" Chachazero asked, folding her hands behind her head.

Negi looked over his shoulder from his crouched position beside his duffel bag, "Who's _them_?"

"That suppressed group of vultur-"

"The girls?" Negi cut her off before she could finish.

"It's an all girl school, and you're their homeroom teacher. Besides the fact that you seem to have this mysterious grip on the female body with your vampiric abilities, some of them have had crushes on you since your first year teaching, which was weird enough. I mean, Eva-san had an excuse since she has, like this sick infatuation with your old man, and you two could pass for brothers more than father and son. When I saw you two in that ring years ago it was like watching the past fighting the future."

"Um, alright." Negi blushed from being compared to his father in such a way. "What is your point though?"

"A few years will turn those crushes into something else depending on who's the one being _'crushed' _on. You've come a long way since before. I'll give it a year before you become the stud they all want to grab a chloroform dabbed hankercheif and-"

"Point taken." Negi stopped her again before looking down at himself. Sure, he looked older, but in reality, he didn't look all that much older than he did two years ago. It was the price of his immortality. "But this is all just a fake." He heaved a sigh, standing up and walking to the window. He watched as a large cloud in the sky gradually made it's way to blot out the sun from his angle. "I'm really no different from that person I was two years ago."

"Physically, anyway." His familiar corrected him. "I don't see the problem though. That illusion looks pretty genuine to me. It feels real too."

"It's still a form of deception." Negi retorted, walking back to th desk.

"Is it, really?" Chachazero asked, expressing her disagreement. "You're really supposed to look this way. If it wasn't for your vampirism, then you'd actually look the way you do now. What you're doing now is fitting in with normal society. Could you blame yourself for doing any differently?"

"...It still-"

"Geez, master..." The sadistic puppet groaned. "Could you stop with the drama already? You're too young for this sort of crap."

"...Guess you're right." Negi finally submitted with a building grin.

"Whatever...so what are we doing now anyway?"

"Setsuna wants us to join her for training this afternoon." Negi answered her, tossing the strap of the duffel bag onto his shoulder. When she saw that her master was just about ready to get going, she walked to the edge of his desk and held our her hands for him to pick her up and perch her on his head. Negi did as she desired and got ready to lock up the classroom before feeling the puppet tug at his hair earlier than he anticipated. "Yeah?" He asked, pulling the strings for the shades to come down.

"What about the captain? Isn't this usually the time that you go to meditate with her?" Chachazero asked with a hint of disappointment. She probably favored Mana from all the other girls most for reasons that Negi was sure had something to do with her manner and skills.

Negi twisted the small plastic lever on the side of the shades to close them shut, and headed for the door with his keys out to lock up. "After seeing Setsuna approach me, she just kind of left."

"Oh." Chachazero cocked her head to the side curiously. She knew that the girls had some issues with how Negi's friendship with the lovely marksman had developed since the incident during the Mahora Festival, but Setsuna was one she found hard to read, perhaps even more so than the short librarian with the azure shade of hair. _I guess even that crow demon can get a little jealous about her sensei, but...I was sure that she was into that bubbly Konoe girl. Well, I might be wrong about her after all._

* * *

**_[ A look at Setsuna's training session ]_**

* * *

The leaves that were on the ground whipped up with the swift velocity of an upper slash of Setsuna's shinai, forcing Negi to back away from her quickly before she could follow up with a few finishing strikes. The swordsman brought the wooden, training sword to her side when the slash missed and she attempted to make up for error with a quick thrust directed at the young magi's mid-section. He dodged to the side in time to avoid the painful jab from the end of her sword, lifting his shinai over his head to bring down with a clean slice that came in contact with nothing but the blowing wind. He caught a glimpse of Setsuna's rolling form from the corner of his eye, turning to face her just as she stood up to receive a roundhouse to the side of his face. Since he had about a split second to try and react, the kick did nothing more than stun him for a fleeting moment rather than dealing the full force that the swordsman intended to put behind it, so when she went in for a diagonal slash, he had enough time to recover and parry the blow from the young woman.

"Your reflexes with the blade are much quicker." Setsuna remarked at his progress with a grin, deflecting a horizontal slash from Negi before answering his attack by using the force in her arms to guide his wooden blade in a quick circle and to the side, almost throwing him off balance, giving her the opportunity to go in for another diagonal slash. Negi moved to the open spot left by the slash, ducking so his head wouldn't be caught in a collision with the swishing blade, and attempted to surprise her with a drawn slash that would have surely made a clear cut to her mid-section if she wasn't so quick to execute a mid-air cartwheel, jumping just out of reach of his attack. She saw an opening as he pulled back from his slash and whipped her sword in a circular fashion before bending her knees slightly to jump up with a rising slash that whipped up chunks of soft soil and rock in the line of her attack. Negi was momentarily blinded by the unexpected strategy, finding himself being launched into the air by the explosion of the air pocket that the ferocity of her swing created. Setsuna jumped up after him immediately, rising over him like a hawk to come down with an overhead strike. There was a loud crack from the connection of both their swords as the young magi attempted to defend against her, gripping the hilt of his own blade tightly to keep it from flying back into his face from the force Setsuna put behind her swing.

_Incredible! _Negi had to resist allowing the amazement he felt to wash over his face at the display of Setsuna's display of awe inspiring ability. He managed to force her off of him to put some distance between them, giving him the chance to counter, but she was quick to return with a flurry of slashes that nearly ended any chance of Negi defending against them. If it wasn't for the extraordinary reflexes that his vampiric side endowed him with, the duel would have ended in an instant in the face of her intensity. He did his best, parrying blow for blow in a blinding display of sheer luck, but in the end he lost his grip on the shinai and it went twirling out of his hands, plunging into the ground below like a large, standing blade of grass. "Cripes!" Negi cursed under his breath at the predicament he found himself in, not daring to take his eyes away from Setsuna since she would clock him with her blade if he was foolish enough to do so.

Setsuna held the hand with the blade back in preparation to strike while using the other to hold before his eyes, effectively obscuring his vision from any moveshe was about to make. She shifted her weight forward with a slash from her shinai, rolling in the air dangerously close to Negi's face. Negi did the first thing that came to mind and shifted his weight backwards while placing his arms at his sides to allow him to fall faster, and put a safe distance between him and the rolling slash that the swordsman had coming his way. He managed to plant his hands on the ground when he was close enough to make contact and pushed away hard to flip backwards just as Setsuna slammed her blade on the spot where he was seconds ago. He looked over his shoulder after her landed on his feet to see the swordsman wasting no time in pursuing him while he had no sword to defend against her with, and rolled to the side just as she slashed at him, but she reacted to his maneuver swiftly, kicking off from the ground to twirl in the air with a sideways, axe kick directed at him.

"Sheesh!" Negi hissed, finding the will to fall back onto the ground in time to let her foot slam just inches away from him. He placed his hands on the floor and twisted his hips to execute a leg sweep that took her off her feet, but she prepared for such a counter, responding by shifting her weight in his direction so she could fall on him with an elbow drop. "Hah!" Negi's eyes went wide in alert before he rolled to the side, causing Setsuna to land just beside him, face to face. They blushed for a moment at how close they were to just about giving each other an Eskimo kiss, however, the awkward momst between them was short lived as Setsuna came to her senses and came after him on the floor, managing to hook her arms over his shoulders and bring the shinai across his neck to press his back against her chest in a submission hold.

"Had this been a real blade, your neck would have experienced an unpleasant end." Setsuna's hot breath left a tingling sensation on his ear.

"Unless..." Negi trailed off, gripping the shinai before jerking forward to land on his knees. He felt Setsuna keep a firm hold on the wooden sword even as he dragged her off the ground. Using this to this advantage, he sent her flying over his head with another forceful jerk forward, still gripping her blade. He flipped the shinai in the air, catching it by the hilt when it came back down, and pointed the end of the wooden sword at her chest, saying, "Better now?"

"Maybe-" Setsuna kicked the sword out of his hand from the ground and swung both legs into the air before jerking forward to get back on her feet. She assumed a fighting stance, lunging forward with a palm directed at his chest, but he side stepped the attack, gripping her forearm with one hand and gripping her shirt with the other to send her crashing back to the floor with a throw. She tried to pull back quickly, sending him off his equilibrium and causing Negi to fall back down to the ground with her. He coughed from the dust cloud that whipped up from the fall, opening his eyes to find himself looking down on Setsuna. A queasy sensation passed through his stomach.

"Sorry..." Negi stood up from her quickly, offering her his hand for some assistance as he did his best not to stammer an blush. "Sorry about that." He used his other hand to massage the back of his neck sheepishly out of habit. "I guess I got a little carried away there with this session, huh?"

"I can say the same." Setsuna grinned at him, patting the dirt off of her clothes. "I'm really amazed at the progress you've made in such short time."

"Short time?" Negi raised an eyebrow. "We've been at this for two and a half years." _I think it's almost a half by now..._

"That isn't nearly enough time to be a full fledged swordsman. That is just about chipping the iceberg."

"...Huh?"

"You don't even know the secret techniques yet." Setsuna explained, before turning her attention to a large rock in the distance. "For instance..." She trailed off before Negi felt a quick rush of wind blow past the both of them. Seconds later the rock exploded into bits as though an invisible hammer came down on it with ridiculous force.

"...Huh?" Negi said again with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Exactly."

"But..."

"Don't hurt yourself thinking too hard about it." Setsuna told him with a pat on the shoulder.

"Um...ok." Negi nodded, feeling that it was best to just accept what he just saw...or rather, what he didn't see.

"Ahh." Setsuna sighed, sitting down on a large rock near the lake. There was enough room for the both of them to sit down so she patted the spot beside her, asking, "Don't you want to rest a bit after all of that?"

"Sure." Negi replied before he proceeded over to where she sat to join her. _Hmm...I hope Chachazero doesn't mind staying alone for a little while longer._ The young magi thought, thinking back on his familiar. He left her on the deck of the shrine house so she wouldn't get caught in the midst of their training. Setsuna could possibly be trying to live up to Evangeline's rough expectations when it came to training. He stole a glance at his friend for a moment, realizing how pretty she was for the first time in a while. Most of the time he spent with her usually required him to move quickly so time never really stood still long enough for him to really admire her as much as it did when he wasn't training with her.

"So?" Setsuna started off, making Negi blink curiously.

"Yeah?" Negi looked back at her, waiting for some sort of response.

"Is there anything that you'd like to talk about, sensei?"

"Oh, I see..." Negi mumbled, rolling his eyes briefly. "Did Asuna and Konoka put you up to this?"

"Well, I would be lying if I said they didn't have a hand in this." Setsuna admitted before holding a hand up to keep him from speaking. "However, all they really did was mention some odd behavior in regard to you. I set up this entire meeting of my own accord."

"I knew it was weird that you asked me to join you." Negi mused. "We usually don't have training on Wednesdays."

"So?" Setsuna began again.

"There's really nothing to talk about." Negi said stubbornly.

"Of course there is." Setsuna persisted, turning slightly so she could face him better. "You usually have this whole new routine set up for everyday now. You plan after school sessions so that the others won't start complaining about your neglect towards them before you disappear with the captain somewhere. Then depending on the day, you come to me for training before heading off to the library to tend to your _mysterious_ activities." The swordsman put an emphasis on the word mysterious, more in a mocking fasion than anything else. Probably because she felt that the girls gossip concerning him was bordering on silly. "Yue always happens to be out of touch around that time so it's safe to assume that she lends you a hand in whatever research you're doing there. Any questions to her naturally gets nothing in return. It's only natural that she would want to keep her private life a secret. Oh," Setsuna tapped her chin before she went on, "And you end the night by heading to Evangeline's residence."

"...Whoa...you girls sure are scary." Negi said, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"When you have Kazumi, and Sayo on the case, there is nothing to hide." Setsuna shifted in her seat. "That is beside the point though. What I've been noticing is that there seems to be a weight on your shoulders, heavier than the burden you carried when you first came here. It caught my attention when you started training under Kaede and I, but I figured it was natural considering who you were. Now it's beginning to bother me a bit. What are you keeping from us, sensei?"

"...Erm..." Negi hesitated.

"I'm sure it would be easier on you if you let someone else know."

"..." Negi looked the other way for a long time, but Setsuna seemed to be determined to know, showing enough patience to unnerve her teacher. He finally looked back at her when he came to a decision. "...This is just between you and me..."

"-And Mana, right?" She threw in unexpectedly.

"Uh..." _Gah-you too, Setsuna?_

"I find it so odd how you can confide in her, and yet it has taken you so long to come to me and the others." Setsuna seemed to be genuinely disturbed, but she pushed those thoughts aside and kept on the present matter. She didn't want to make him close up again when she was so close to getting the facts out of him.

"Well...I made a promise to Evangeline a while back." Negi started off, piquing the swordsman's interest from the very get go. Now that was an interesting way to start an answer. She knew this had to be big if it involved someone as mysterious as the dark mistress herself. "I promised her that I would set her free from the curse that my father placed on her."

"Really?" Setsuna quirked an eyebrow. "...Is that really something you should make a promise to?"

"...I don't understand." Negi almost sounded offended by her words. "Why do you say that?"

"Because, Eva-san, isn't exactly safe...you know?"

"Sure she is!" Negi assured her confidently. The way he replied reminded Setsuna of the young spark he arrived with at Mahora years ago. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't with him as much as is used to be. There was something about him now that felt slightly worn. While she felt that he behaved like an adult most of the time, now it was so dominant over his youthful personality that she almost felt as though she was younger than him rather than the other way around.

"But if you think about it, isn't she just behaving now because she doesn't have much of a choice?"

"You make it sound as if she's holding back another side of herself."

"Isn't she, Negi-kun?" Setsuna suddenly sounded very serious when she asked her question. "You of all people should know that more than anyone. If anything, the only reason she's mellowed down now is because she's been confined her so long. I mean..." Setsuna paused for a moment, wrinkling her brow. "...Don't you think that your father resorted to something so drastic for a reason?"

"He just wanted her off his back." Negi retorted. "He wanted her to reform herself."

"Ne-"

"And, hasn't she?" Negi asked before she could get his name out of her mouth.

"Maybe."

Setsuna looked to the side, recalling her last confrontation with Evangeline...no, _"Dark Evangel"_ was more like it when she found herself against the dark mistress during the Mahora Budokai. The vampiress was willing to do something horrible to her if she didn't prove herself that afternoon. Her acceptance of her own true nature was the only thing that kept her alive during that engagement. _But what of your true nature Evangeline McDowell? Centuries of the life you lived can't be erased so easily in just fifteen short years...probably nothing but months or days compared to how long you've lived. _The crow demon looked back at Negi and offered him a small smile as she placed a hand on his head. She resisted the urge in her to ruffle his hair like she used to. For some reason it didn't feel acceptable anymore. _Or maybe this extraordinary young man was all that was needed to open up a new world for you. Heh, does this mean that stealing him from you might spell the end for us all?_

"Negi?" Setsuna finally spoke up.

"Yes?" Negi was caught off guard by her voice.

"So what will happen when you don't find the key to her freedom here?"

"...Ah..." Negi's mind blanked out at her question. He never considered that happening. He was sure that there had to be some kind of book in library island that held the secrets to ending the scholasticus curse. "...No way. It has to be here somewhere."

"Of course." Setsuna agreed with him, but there was a doubt in her mind.

_But what if it's not?_

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_Well, I'm back, but I must admit that I probably didn't come with the fireworks that you all had in mind. Reasons for that is because I wanted to leave the first chapter as something to inform the readers on what has changed since the last volume. I also mentioned that a few things happened in between, but don't worry, I'll throw in those mishaps on flashbacks. Let's see...vague ending...yeah, I'm right where I want to be. Now, chances are, the further we go with this plot, the darker some elements will become. There will still be that Negima feel though (Taking that away would be criminal, I'm sure.) There will be the harem formula, and comedy, but expect some **"I know he didn't just end the chapter like that!" **in the future. Heh, let's have fun._

Oh yeah, my writing buddy, _Spiritblade_ will be making a huge contribution to this volume.

Rights to Spiritblade:

1)_ Characters in the Mage council. (If you're reading this, when are you going to send the next group in? We haven't been in touch for...three week?)  
_

2)_A certain Shizuna theory that might happen._ _(I can't promise you anything.)_

3)_Basically I'll add on when I receive more._

_Take care,_

_**Traingham..**_

_P.S: What is up with the document manager?_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

_**Alter Egos: **Non-spoiler ones anyway...**  
**_

_Dark Ako (Half-Vampire)...Dark Makie (Half-Vampire)  
_

_Dark Akira (Half Vampire)...Dark Yuna (Half- Vampire)  
_

_**New Characters: **__So far...  
_

_Lucinda McVicar (Vampire)...Seras Temptus (Lycan)_

_Alice Dalziel (Vampire)...Lillith Tribal (Lycan)_

_Seraphina Elman (Vampire)...Veran Belcomt (Lycan)_

_Lucifera Augustus (Vampire)...Olivia Locke (Lycan)  
_

_Morrigan Slade (Vampire)...Eve Iscariot (Lycan)  
_

_Dorothy Summers (Chibi Vampire)...Adel Rayhart (Lycan)  
_

_Eliza Une (Vampire)...Esther Vermillion (Lycan)  
_

_Milan Une (Vampire)...Katherine Rosenthal (Human)_

_Chao Xue (Human)...Camilla ? (Vampire)_

_Adrian Mortis (Lycan)...Melchiah Clementine (Vampire)_

_Eilis Ackhart (Vampire)...Igen Qualia (Doppelganger)_

**_Mage Council Characters:_** _(**Spirit Blade)** So far..._

_Bayard Kell (Human)...Sammael Trueflight (Night Elf)_

_Selenia Darla Armisael (Blood Elf)...Therese Wellworth (Human)_

Astameer Laâ€™felle _(Human)_


	2. The Seeds of Doubt

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter Two: Doubt was a Woman_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

_**"So what will happen when you don't find the key to her freedom here?"**_

...

Negi walked through the campus grounds with Setsuna's words still fresh in his mind. Almost two years of dedication to searching for the countercurse that would release his master from her school prison suddenly started to feel like a sand castle on the verge of being crushed by a rolling wave. It was amazing what a simple question could do to a person's resolve. After having his talk with the swordsman, he wasn't sure if his efforts really mattered anymore. If the answers to his problem weren't here then where could they have possibly been? He didn't tackle the endless shelves of that monstrous island for nothing, did he?

_No. Don't let it get to you so easily. _Negi thought to himself, spotting a bench up ahead of him. All of this walking was not doing any good for him. It would be easier for him to get his thoughts back into order if he just had a little sit down, and he did exactly that when the bench was in reach. Chachazero, having no knowledge of her master's conversation with the lovely swordsman a few days back, could only observe him curiously. He sure seemed to be in a blank mood ever since he got back from training with the young woman. His eyes didn't even seem to be in focus when he came to pick her up from the shrine house. The puppet was beginning to get the feeling that something bad may have happened. "So, you alright?" Chachazero finally decided to voice her concern. "You look a bit out of it."

"Oh, me?" Negi asked as if there was someone else within the vicinity that his familiar could have possibly directed her question to.

"Well, that's enough of an answer for me." Chachazero replied to his response, feeling the irresistable urge to roll her eyes. Her master was so easy to read that it worried her. "So tell me what's got you so disturbed."

"What are you talking about?" Negi asked, lifting her off her perch on his head and sitting her down on his lap so he could get a good look at her.

"You don't look so hot right now." Chachazero explained. "It's pretty easy to tell that something is bothering you."

"Are you insinuati-"

"Master..." The puppet cut him off with a bored tone. "Don't give me the run around. Just tell me what's going on."

"...It turns out that the real reason Setsuna invited me to train with her was to corner me."

"So she wanted to talk with you about, Tatsumiya?" Chachazero got ahead of him with a _"How predictable"_ tone of voice. "I had a feeling that was it."

"It went a little further than that." Negi told her with a sigh. "She wanted to know about my visits to the library."

"What is she, a detective?" Chachazero quipped. "So what...did you tell her?"

"...Yeah." Negi answered after a slight pause.

"So what did she say?"

"Well, she didn't seem so comfortable about the idea of Eva-chan being released." He explained, "Said that she might not be as reformed as she appears to be."

"Eva-san, reform herself?" Chachazero actually took the moment to blink a few times to express her amusement. "Shyeah, that'll be the day."

"You feel the same way about her too?" The young magi seemed to take a blow from her words. "That's a little unfair, don't you think?"

"Are you serious? What makes you think that'll ever happen in this lifetime?"

"She doesn't seem that bad."

"That's just because she's stuck here. No intelligent person would blow their chances at freedom by acting up." Chachazero argued, waving around her hands animatedly. Negi had to act as though he was causing her to use such wild gestures with the way passing students were staring at him. "Besides, you're here. For some reason Eva-san doesn't misbehave as much when you're around. I guess you sort of have the same effect on her that your father did."

_If that's anything to feel proud about._ Negi thought, the image of his father's cocky grin invading his mind. A look of determination graced his features when a horrible idea came to mind. Chachazero could already tell that her master was aching for trouble with the way he stared off into the distance. It was the same exact look that he had on his face before he took Evangeline out on her first swimming lesson. To put things simply, playing lifeguard while the undying wizard flailed her arms out of fear of drowning wasn't exactly easy. "You know...maybe I should have a serious talk with, Evangeline."

"What ever inspired that idea?"

"Well, I've never really got to know much about her past. Perhaps I might be able to understand her better if I knew more about her."

"...Don't you think it's a bit late for that? You should have done that while you were still living with her." The puppet did her best to keep her master from doing something foolish. Serious talks with Evangeline usually didn't get anywhere. Besides, she had seen how talks with the dark wizard left the young magi. He either came back into the room questioning the very definition of life itself or returned shivering in shock from another one of Evangeline's displays of morbid affection. She didn't understand why, but the chibi-vampire seemed to show her affection for Negi best when she was disturbed or angered by him. Thinking about it now, she was sure that another talk with her would bring similar results.

"Actually I feel better asking her about it, now that I'm not living with her." Negi replied with a sheepish grin. Thoughts of how Evangeline would mysteriously appear in his room in the middle of the night without his knowledge haunted him. "I won't have to worry about her jumping me in the middle of the night."

"I guess you have a point." The puppet nodded with his reasoning. _No more interference from Ms. Bicentennial either._ Chachazero inwardly chuckled, thinking about her taller counterpart. Oh, how she envied that body she was blessed with. Although she was able to take advantage of her master with her petite size. "Hey," The puppet spoke up again when she remembered that they had something to do at the moment. "It's getting kind of dark right now."

"Yeah, it is." Negi sighed peacefully. "It's relaxing, huh?"

"...I was actually referring to the fact that we have something to do right now."

"OH!" Negi stood up quickly, sending his familiar flying off his lap. "Whoa!" Negi caught her quickly before she fell to the floor, and apologized, "S-sorry about that! Yue must be waiting for me to get to the library!"

_I should've just kept my mouth shut. _The sadistic puppet inwardly seethed at the thought of the short librarian. She didn't like how close she was getting to her master.

* * *

_**--**_

_**To Library Island...**_

_**--**_

* * *

Library Island; the hot spot of Mahora campus for those in need of picking up their dragging grades or for those who just wish to get away from the world and immerse themselves in the countless pages that filled the countless books...that filled the countless shelves...of the countless rooms...ahem. The island itself was quite enormous, easily able to catch the attention of airplane passengers miles away. The library itself was a wondrous structure with mind bending floor designs that reached more than twenty stories from the ground up, to perhaps just as many floors below, though sane human beings would not be so foolish to try and explore them. Negi, Yue, and Nodoka were witnesses to what awaited any trespassers. Yes, the library was quite incredible. That being said, the two years that Negi had already spent in search of the book that would lead to his master's salvation had still not been found, and he had hundreds more rooms to search on the surface. He didn't even want to think about how many rooms still awaited him below. For now he would just convince himself that what he was doing now was not in vain, otherwise the urge to do something completely reckless would take over, and Mahora wouldn't see him for a while...and nobody wanted him to do that. Although it would probably provide a much more satisfying experience than say, a few more months of the hit and miss game that was beginning to work a hole in his soul.

Walking into the palace of books, Negi received friendly glances from just about everyone that passed him or saw him passing by. By now he was a regular, and just about everyone else whom could be considered the same had completely accepted him as one of their own without him even knowing. Of course, they were still too shy and nervous to approach him, but there was always that wonderful prospect that fantasizing allowed one to have, and the cute librarians that stood behind the counters with dreamy gazes on their faces found that using that prospect extensively led to some rather enjoyable conclusions. Had Negi been one to actually pay attention to the wanton eyes upon his gallant form, rape may have been an issue since that might have been what those eyes were imagining. Unfortunately for those bold enough to actually approach him, they were met with nothing more than a polite greeting that held no room for anymore than a parting. There were so many things on Negi's mind that the only thing that could really get his undivided attention would have been-

"Oomph!" Negi blinked when he felt someone collide with him, looking down to find Yue on the floor with three books dropped at her side. Being that she was wearing a short skirt, she did her best to cover up quickly before Negi could see her in such an embarrassing state.

"Sorry about that!" Negi quickly apologized, crouching down to help her up with her books. There was a collective murmur of voices from those whom were observing the scene from afar, but Yue did her best to ignore them. She knew that her colleagues were a little bitter about her _'romantic'_ relationship with the young magi, but that was something that she felt proud of, and was willing to milk for all it was worth...while Nodoka and Haruna weren't around to see her doing it anyway. Now if only Negi could allow that illusion to become something she could call a reality. She allowed herself to fall against Negi when she was back on her feet, getting a, "Are you alright?" from the charming vampire as he held her away from him to get a good look at her face. The light, rosy hue that painted her cheeks were completely lost on him much to the short librarian's frustration. She could tell because he didn't seem to catch any of her subtle hints at all. What was it going to take for her to get her point across to him?!

_I'm not doing all this for the sake of a platonic friendship, you know! _Yue inwardly wanted to scream at him, but her strong iron will won the inner battle that raged on between her passion and her sensibility. "I'm fine, Negi-kun." Yue told him softly, hugging the books to her chest as she rocked back and forth in place. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Didn't you see me coming your way? I called out to you twice before you ran into me."

"Ah, that easy to tell, huh?" Negi did his best to force a grin as he ran his hand down the back of his neck out of habit. He could already tell that this question was going to come his way a lot today. "Yeaaaah...it's been a little difficult to really focus lately." Seeing as how this conversation seemed to be going nowhere really fast, Negi's eyes spied the books that the short librarian had in her arms. "So...are those books for me by any chance?"

"Oh." Yue seemed to snap herself out of a trance, blinking a few times before looking down at the books as though she had no idea where they had come from. "...Y-yes, they are. I decided to go ahead of you while you were busy. I didn't do a thorough check of them yet, but they seem to be heading in the direction that you're going so-"

"Alright then." Negi grinned at her as he started heading towards their usual study, eliciting quite a response from Yue. She walked after him quickly to catch up with him and placed a hand on his shoulder to stall him, saying, "Actually, I thought that we could look at these on the balcony of the third floor." Unfortunately for her, her voice was so light that the young magi did not hear her as he continued walking towards the door ahead of him. The door that held the evil behind it that Yue so desperately wanted to keep him away from. She knew it would happen some day. She knew they would eventually come and trample over her hidden paradise, stealing what she kept close to her heart.

_No! I still have time! _Yue's mind cranked out to it's limit as impulse suddenly took over. She threw herself in front of the door, forgetting that there were no handles to pull them, meaning they would easily swing forward if there was any weight pressed against them, so she made it that much easier for Negi to walk in to the room, thanking her for her odd way of helping him in. As if the flailing arms weren't enough to tell him that she was actually falling backwards. Negi, however, came to understand that perhaps Yue was trying to tell him something, though that may have been too late since-

**_"HEY, NEGIIII!"_** The teacher's ears were assaulted by the excited greetings of his students. He was met with the pretty faces of all the young women from his homeroom, all sitting at the tables with piles of books before them from a variety of subjects that didn't quite add up at all. The twins were at the table nearest to the door with stacks of magazines littering the surface. Some of them were open, face down, giving Negi the impression that they had been going through them for a while already. Asuna and Konoka sat together at the table across from them, actually giving off the perfect illusion of two studying students though the open book in front of Konoka was upside down so it didn't do too well to convince Negi. Kazumi had her head upon one curled arm while she viewed the pictures on her digital camera while Sayo genuinely seemed interested in the book she was reading, possessing her small, doll-like form to turn the pages. Chisame, Nodoka, and Haruna were sitting at another table with graphic novels at their reading stead. The spectacled librarian seemed to be drooling over her new yaoi creation, sketching passionately with a fervor that frightened Nodoka. Chisame on the other hand kept on nodding as she read on, sketching outfits on her scrap book. Ku-Fei, Setsuna, and Kaede shared a table near the center of the room, seemingly discussing the books they were reading even though the chairman had a tendency to nod off before waking herself up.

Satsuki, Zazie, and Hakase sat together in the corner immersed in their own books. Chizuru, Natsumi, and Misora were engaged in a heated conversation regarding something in the magazine they were all sharing. Misa, Sakurako, and Madoka were simply conversing with the books in front of them closed, showing signs of never being opened, and Ako, Yuna, Makie, and Akira were occupying a table in the left corner...just staring at Negi with subtle smirks on their lovely faces with the exception of Akira who just seemed to be slightly narrowing her eyes at the teacher. It was kind of creepy, actually. He was sure that he'd seen those expressions on Ako and Makie's faces before, but Yuna and Akira looked like two completely different people. Something was telling him that they were staring at him for a reason as well.

_Did they all have this planned in order to spy on me?_ Negi though to himself, walking further into the study so as not to seem unnatural in any way. Being in the presence of all the girls was the same as walking into a den of lionesses. They would just observe him until they saw an opening to pounce on him. _Wait a second...where's Ayaka?_

Almost as if on cue, Ayaka's voice rang out sweetly from behind the young teacher, "Negi-sensei!", Her favorite words sent shivers down his spine as he felt the blonde beauty fall against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist to fold her hands just above his belt. Lately she had a tendency to place her hands near his lower regions, and it really unnerved him to say the least. He was beginning to wonder if the class president had a few dark secrets of her own lurking within her soul.

"Ahh, Ayaka-chan." Negi chuckled nervously, placing his hands over her's to keep them from accidentally falling down any further than they had already gone. "What a surprise. What are all of you girls doing here at this late hour? Aren't you all usually hanging out in the city by now?" _Well, with the exception of Eva, Chachamaru, and Mana. They have a tendency to keep to themselves...not that master has much of a choice in her case, anyway._

"Oh-ho-ho." Ayaka laughed haughtily. "You sound as if you don't want us here." Her words got a collective response from the rest of the girls, whom all nodded and murmured their words of agreement with her reasoning, putting the pressure on Negi. Was it him or were they really beginning to crowd him? He could feel the sweat trailing down his neck as the walls of the room seemed to start closing in on him with all of the girls beginning to resembles giantesses looking down on him like some tasty morsel for them all to swallow up.

"Th-that's not it at all." Negi assured them all more than he was just trying to assure Ayaka. He parted Her folded hands to step out of her grasp and walk to an open area where he had more maneuverability should the need arise, and with the way the twins were looking at him with mischievous gleams in their eyes, the need might have indeed been heading his way. He glanced over his shoulder when he realized that he was backing into Ako's table; the dark spot of the room as he decided to label it since the aura's emanating from their forms definitely lacked anything that could be considered light and purity. It was like some sort of black curtain was shrouding them. "So really...what are you girls doing here?"

"Studying, of course." Ayaka answered on the behalf of the class.

"Studying?" Negi questioned her answer skeptically before gesturing to the twin's table. "Using fashion-", Negi used his left hand to gesture to Chizuru's table while he kept his other on Fuka and Fumika, "-And entertainment magazines?" He took a bold step toward Chisame's table as she continued to sketch her future costumes for the next cosplay convention, and picked up an issue of _'Vampire Knight'_ that was sitting beside her elbow. "I don't recall any classes that focus on these sort of subjects either."

"Well..." Ayaka paused for a moment, looking for a response to keep the young magi from suspecting their true motives any further. "Not...all of us...though."

"I kind of figured." Negi quipped, getting a chuckle out of his faithful familiar._ If they're going to study here then I guess I shouldn't disturb them with my presence. _He stole a glance at Ako and the three other dark young women for a moment, getting shivers. _Plus...I don't think hanging around them will be any good for their health. _Thoughts of how his last meeting with them went when they were behaving in a similar nature went through his mind. _Or my health for that matter._

"Good luck then!" Negi wished them all cheerfully, getting confused responses from them.

_**"Huh?"**_

_**"Where are you going?"**_

_**"Yeah, what's up?"**_

_**"You leaving?"**_

_**"So soon?"**_

_**"You just got here!"**_

_**"C'mon, stay!"**_

"Well, I would, but Yue and I have some reading to do ourselves." Negi silenced their protests wit gasps. Clearly they all got the wrong idea, but Negi didn't seem to pick that up at all...as usual. Yue could not conceal the blush that crept up on her, and began to stand a little prouder than she was before, never realizing that Nodoka was secretly sending her a death glare behind the long bangs that did a good job of concealing them most of the time. This only got more intense as Negi joined the blue-haired librarian near the door and walked out with her.

"Hmph! How do you like that?" Misa huffed out, resting her chin in one hand. "He left with her just like that."

"Sensei isn't the same young man he was before." Kaede commented, crossing her arms with a few nods of her head. "Our days of keeping him to ourselves may just be coming to an end."

"You mean..." Fuka trailed off with a hint of horror in her voice.

"...He'll be interested in other girls?!"

"Seems so." Kaede replied. There was even a hint of disappointment in her voice when she spoke. "It would seem so..." The ninja repeated her self, heaving a light sigh.

"Yeah, yeah...I get that." Sakurako grumbled dejectedly. "But does that mean that he picked, Yue?"

"Nah, I doubt it." Kazumi spoke with a lazy grin.

"B-but do you see all the time they spend together?" Natsumi shot at the photographer. "He has to like her!"

"So? He spends time with Eva-san too." Kazumi retorted. "I think you girls are reading too much into this."

"Let him do what he wants!" Asuna got tired of all this talk about the young magi. If he was going to devote himself to another girl then what part of it was their business. It wasn't as if he was their property, although more than a few of the girls in the class could differ from that sort of view. "It's his life!"

"Was that a hint of jealousy I heard in your voice?" Haruna dropped her pencil and grinned at the red-head lecherously. "I don't think you meant those words, Asu-chan." The manga-ka artist giggled sinisterly. "Besides, so what if Negi likes Yue? We could always change his opinion of who he likes. It's all part of the human nature. Eventually we move on when other enticing options decide to present themselves."

"Are you girls mad...hey..."Asuna trailed off when she realized that no one was paying her any mind.

Misa nodded with her reasoning before standing up from her seat, pumping her fist in the air. "Yeah!" The young woman cried out with flames of determination burning in her eyes brilliantly. The aura that was burning around her frightened the girls sitting with her. "It ain't over yet! Negi isn't whooped, so who's with me?! Are you all going to give up when the battle isn't even finished yet?!"

_**"No way!"**_

_N-Never!_ Nodoka thought to herself with a trembling fist.

_Tee-hee, this could be fun._ Konoka giggled to herself.

_It'd be a shame to let him go like this._ Kaede smirked like a fox.

_...W-What...the hell...are they going on about?!_ Asuna looked around at the madhouse, sinking back into her seat.

"Then are-you-with me?!" Misa got all the girls going again.

_**"Yeah!"**_

"Then let's do this!"

_Ako, Makie, Akira, and Yuna shared a look before looking to the door that Negi left through with Yue. If Evangeline had been nearby to read their minds, even she would have been a little proud._

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

"Negi?" Yue raised an eyebrow when the young man shivered noticably. "Are you alright?"

"Um-ahem..." Negi cleared his throat, massaging the back of his neck nervously. If his hearing picked up that last scream correctly, he could have sworn that he just heard all of the girls let out some sort of battle howl back in the usual study. Just what were they planning to do now? "It's nothing, really. I just felt a chill. Have you found anything that looks like it might have any relation to some sort of school curse yet?"

Yue removed her glasses with a sigh, and set her mechanical pencil down. "No...although that's not really much of a surprise. I mean, who uses such a curse these days in the magic world? Didn't you tell me that that sort thing got banned by the lawful guild of academic magic long ago when teachers started abusing it's powers?" The short librarian spoke of the reports of delinquents being forced to spend their lives on campuses in the magic realm to become teachers as punishment for their atrocious behavior in the far past. The teachers responsible for putting those young students through the scholasticus hell was sent to jail for their inhumane crimes, however, that story was not relevant at the moment. In fact it just won't come up again...at all.

"Yeah, but I figured that since this school had some kind of affiliation with the magic society, there would be some sort of book here that could relate to that sort of curse." Negi leaned back in his seat, setting his book down and allowed his head to fall back so he could get a good look at the clear blue sky above. There was a world out there beyond the campus gates, and the possibilities were endless, but that may have been what was holding him back. Here at the library, at least he knew that there was a limit...no matter how long it would take for him to find it, but out there, there was always the possibility that he could get swept up in something that he didn't want to get involved in or even lose his way. _On the other hand, this search could take another few years for all I know. At least out there I might have a better chance at narrowing everything down if I find the right people, but who could I possibly turn to in order to reach the source?_

"Don't bust a vein, master." Chachazero joked when she spotted a knot bulging on the young magi's forehead.

"Hm." Yue closed her book and placed it on top of one of the other books that she selected. "Looks like our search isn't done yet. This could possibly take more time than we ever imagined." _Not that I really mind. This would give me an advantage in really leaving an impression on Negi. Before he even realizes it, he'll see me in a different light. _A small grin made it's way across the normally stoic librarian. _Patience is a virtue. Just you wait, Negi-kun._

"You know what, Yue, I'm really sorry about all of this!" Negi suddenly blurted out, leaning forward in his seat again. "You probably have so many other things that you've wanted to do, and I'm being selfish, taking your time. With no results after this long I'm sure that you're pretty much sick of all this. I don't even think I could ever repay you properly for the sacrifice you've made this past year."

"Oh..." Yue fell victim to a blush as she cast her eyes upon the table bashfully. "Don't take it that way. I want to help you, Negi-kun. I'd put you before anything in my day."_ I mean, look at what all this time between us has formed. I have a better chance at opening your heart than everyone else in the class could ever dream of having. _Unfortunately that thought made Evangeline's sinister smile come to mind. _Well...I don't even know what sort of relationship he has with **'HER'**_. _For all I know, she's probably his mistress already. _The librarian blushed as a scene that Haruna probably already illustrated in one of her books went through her mind.

"Erm-"Negi blinked after hearing her say that. He didn't really know how to respond to those words. In fact, hearing Yue say them just blew away anything that he could have possibly thought up to reply with so he opted for a, "Ahm, I-I...thank you."

"You're welcome." Yue couldn't help but fall victim to another blush.

_...Awkward silence..._

Negi placed his hand on the book in front of him and shifted it left to right a few times, while Yue crossed her legs under the table and kicked her overlapping leg back and forth a few times. She looked to the side, admiring a flock of doves flying back and forth in a nonsensical pattern before they found a perch on one of the electric cables that lead across the campus. She glanced at Negi to find him very interested in what Chachazero was doing on his shoulder, which seemed to be nothing more than kicking her legs back and forth out of boredom. The puppet did, however, seem to appreciate the attention that she was receiving from her master, turning her head slightly to look back at him for a few seconds before turning away quickly to mumble to herself like a giggling school girl.

"So!" Negi decided to finally break the awkward silence, lifting his hand from the book he was shuffling from side to side to bring back down with a light pat. "I guess we should put these books away then. Maybe if we search the next room, we just might find what we're looking for." He rolled his eyes so quickly that Yue couldn't detect it with her sharp observation skills. _With insane luck..._ He inwardly groaned as an afterthought.

"You know...I'm sure this might be late asking about it, but...why are you so interested in this curse anyway?" Yue asked.

_Oh, yeah, Evangeline never was that open about her reasons for being kept on campus, and I don't recall ever sharing the information with too many people either. _Mostly out of fear that Evangeline would punish him for spreading her business around without her permission, and the vampiress was one to get angry about that sort of thing.

"Just hoping that this sort of information will allow me to help someone close to me."

"Someone...close to you?" Yue asked, her voice wavering for a moment. She didn't ever recall Negi making connections with anyone else out of the campus gates unless he was talking about that odd blonde, Takane, and her _'little sister'_, Mei. Her mind completely overlooked the fact that this close friend as Negi decided to put it, could have been Evangeline. "Like, a family member?" Her hopes were betting on that much at most.

"A-_er_-friend, actually." Negi replied.

"Oh...okay then." Yue nodded, but before it could become another uncomfortable silence, Negi stood up from his seat, and tucked the book under his arm to take it with him. The short librarian followed his example and did the same, following him back into the library only to find that the other girls had decided to do some searching on the floor they were on. The twins looked suspicious enough, looking at their selection of books like they were written in a completely foreign language. Asuna's refusal to have any part in the _"Operation: Reclaim Golden Boy"_ didn't help the illusion either with Konoka dragging her along for the ride while she had her arms crossed defiantly like some angered child.

"They definitely didn't come to study." Negi mumbled to Yue quickly.

"Figured as much." Yue whispered back to him.

"Let's move fast."

"Affirmative." Yue nodded before Negi made the first move, walking quickly to the double doors on the right of them. She followed behind him in a power walk since Negi's legs were naturally longer...or unnaturally, whichever way you choose to look at it. Their escape route was bloked, however, when Misa and a few other girls decided to pop up in front of the book shelf that was against the wall beside the door. To make matters worse, Ayaka decided to add herself to their party against their will.

"Negi-sensei! What a surprise!" The class rep said cheerfully as she latched herself to his arm, much as if she was trying to merge with it. Chachazero did her best to restrain herself from carrying out her earlier intended plan of cutting the blonde young woman's hands off. Oh, there would be other opportunities.

"W-We just saw each other-"

"I see that you seem to be having trouble searching for a book!" The young woman cut Negi off before he could utter another word. She didn't plan on Haruna and Nodoka deciding to take the situation from there, practically prying her off the young magi's arm before facing him with smiles on their faces. Haruna's expression looked simply lecherous, while Nodoka seemed just about ready to crumble to pieces at any moment in front of her crush, which she stalked without his knowledge.

"Then look no further!" Haruna announced to him triumphantly. "For as librarians, we have the ideal knowledge and experience to light the way to year selection!" She nudged the timid librarian beside her quickly, mumbling under her breath, "Right?!"

"That's r-right! Please use me, Negi-sensei!" Her words came out a bit too wrong sounding for her own tastes. Haruna on the other hand felt that it was very appropriate, and offered her compatriot a thumbs up before saying something that would make a another potential enemy in the mind of her two friends.

"Don't forget to use me as well, sensei." The manga-ka artist said with a hint of seduction in her voice, fully intending to get a reaction before putting on her practiced puppy eyed face. "Pleaaaase?" She stressed her last word as she leaned over to him sweetly.

_GAH! I KNEW IT!_ Nodoka and Yue both thought at the exact same time.

"Well..." Yue stood in front of Negi to make Haruna back off of him before continuing, "-as you can see, he is already using me so your assistance won't be necessary."

"Oh, Yue." Haruna grinned deviously as she leaned over in the short librarian's face. "I didn't see you there."

At this crucial point in time where the two girls seemed just about ready to pounce on each other, Negi found that a sensible part of his mind gently explained that this situation was going to a dangerous place, and that he, being the intelligent young man that he was should- _BAIL, BAIL, BAIL! SAVE YOURSELF DAMMIT! WALK THE OTHER WAY AND CALL IT A DAY!_

His mind only made things that clear when it was sure of itself. Well, time to skedaddle. "I'll go on ahead, Yue." Negi told her, placing a hand on her shoulder for a brief moment before walking away as fast as he could. Misa and the others attempted to stop him with small talk, but he simply greeted them and continued his escape into the other room.

"Ha, you bailed." Chachazero joked at her master's expense.

"Any other person would have done the same."

"Except for the fact that you may have just walked into another tense situation." The sadistic puppet said off handedly as her emerald eyes swiveled over to Negi slowly. "You feel that...don't ya?"

"That impending doom feeling?" Negi replied, getting a chill from the dark aura's that his vampiric senses detected in the room.

"Yep."

"Just now I did."

"You're slipping, master Negi."

"Excuse me for feeling a sense of security for once in my life."

"Eva-san would smack you for that one."

"I know." Negi groaned.

_"You look lost, sensei."_ A mischievous voice echoed from an unknown source within the chamber. Even with his enhanced senses, Negi couldn't place which direction it came from. He walked a little further into the room and stopped when he was at the center where all the book cases seemed to point towards. It was there that he realized an odd mist seemed to be rolling along the floor, or was it all in his imagination? It felt as if another realm was trying to break through the boundaries of the normal world in an attempt to swallow him, but then again, this was not completely foreign to him at all. He only got this feeling whenever a half-vampire entered the scene. His suspicions proved to be on point when a familiar young woman stepped forward from behind a bookcase behind him with a wicked smirk crossing her lips. Her presence did the equivalent of tapping the young magi on the shoulder, causing him to whip around quickly at the call for his attention.

"Ako-san." Negi spoke her name cautiously, moving in a circle as she did the same until they both came to a stop at the same time. "What did you do with her?"

"She's sleeping." Dark Ako answered him with a grin. "Having a split personality has it's advantages, you know? Whenever she feels tired, she allows me to take over for her."

"Quite the trust you two have."

"It took some time, but now she likes to think of me as a close friend." The half-vampire giggled at the irony of her own words. "Not that she really had a choice. I'm as close a friend she could ever get."

"As much as I'd like to chat with you, I'm actually pretty busy." Negi ended their exchange as simple and sweetly as he could before wandering into one of the large corridors of books. The half-vampire puffed her cheeks out of irritation when she found herself so easily brushed aside, and clenched both of her hands into tight fists. The young magi kept on walking, never looking back until he heard a familiar giggle come from above him. That energetic tone...that childish quality...it could only be-

"M-Makie-chan?" Negi looked up to see her only to look away quickly when he realized that she was giving him a generous view of what lied beneath her skirt. _This is beginning to look a lot like a trap. _Negi thought to himself, not bothering to inquire about why she happened to be sitting on top of the book shelf. He quickened his pace, inwardly taking note of just how many books he passed. Any of them could have had the answers he was looking for, and now these girls just had to come and pose a distraction. Sometimes he wondered why he had to be the one with all the rotten luck. He heard a light tap behind him, alerting him that the gymnast had landed on her feet, and had proceeded to follow him.

"So what is this all about?" Negi called out to those pursuing him.

"A hunch." Negi stopped in his tracks when Akira stepped in his way at the end of the corridor. She gave him her profile, her cold eye swiveling to lock on him. "Calm yourself, sensei. You seem as if you're expecting us to do something to you."

"Isn't that usually the case?" Negi asked, the muscles in his arms tensing.

"Usually." Yuna's voice rang to his ears as she stepped out from the other corner at the end of the corridor, giving him her profile as well as she leaned against the left bookcase. "However, this time we just want to talk." She turned her head to face him with a smile, baring her lethal fangs. "Friends do that sort of thing, don't they? Talking, that is."

"And here I believed I was just prey to all of you." Negi said sarcastically. How else could he see himself as being in their eyes when every time he had the unfortunate chance of meeting with them, they seemed hell bent on cornering him, and having their way with him. The situation they had him in now did not seem all that different from how their usual engagements took place. The only difference now was they they were all working together on this hunting party, which was unexpected. Until now, he had never seen them interact with each other.

"Well, now that you've settled down-" Negi flinched when Ako suddenly landed beside him. "-we can talk like civilized vampires." She regarded him libidinously and approached him until he backed himself into the shelf behind him. When he could escape no further, she placed one hand against the books beside and leaned over, stopping just a ew inches away from his face.

"Come any closer and-"

"That's still Ako-san, Zero-chan." Negi stopped his familiar before she could get rowdy.

"Yeah...forgot about that." The puppet rolled her eyes as she drew her hands away from her blades. "Get some new friends, huh?"

"How sweet of you." The dark young woman said with a purr, narrowing her eyes playfully. "I always liked that about you, _'Nagi-chan'._"

_Huh?_ Negi blinked, resisting the shock that came over him. "...How?"

"I suspected you from day one, sensei." Dark Ako answered him. "The two of you acted so alike that it was plain to see. Your odd naivety, your caring smile..." Ako spoke her next words affectionately with a light sigh that gave Negi goosebumps. "That _charm."_ She noticed the look of shame that gradually washed over his expression, and she softened somewhat. "Oh, don't worry. I haven't informed "her" about this revelation. I knew it would probably crush her to find out the truth about the man she loved, however, these things aren't hard to fix."

"What do you mean?" Negi's voice was a near whisper, still feeling nervous under her sultry gaze. He noticed some movement from the other girls, coming to the realization that they weren't too happy about how close their fellow halfling was handling him. Dark Makie showed the most noticeable discomfort, flexing her hands open and closed as if she was about to do something unexpected.

"That is a conversation I would like to have with you in private. Right now we would like to talk about something else." Dark Ako finally backed off of him, much to the others relief.

"The extreme increase of training." Dark Yuna started off.

"The distancing." Dark Akira went on.

"The gloom." Dark Makie added.

"All odd behavior." Dark Ako summed up. "Why?"

"I'd assume that it would be pretty obvious to you girls as to why I distance myself from you." Negi tried to get off easy, but the dark young women weren't so accepting of his cop out.

"You know what we mean." Akira growled before she began closing in on him from the other side of the hall. Ako stepped in her way to ensure that she would not be able to carry out whatever she intended. "Or do you require a little persuasion to loosen your lips?" The normally calm, and peaceful young woman had become unusually harsh, and aggressive under the influence of her dark persona. _(**Cough**-Mot-**Cough**-oko-**Cough**!)_

"I still don't know what you girls are getting at." Negi honestly replied.

"Perhaps I can make an assumption?" Akira put on the pressure.

"...Ok..." Negi felt a little threatened by her intense gaze. "Um, shoot."

"You're planning on leaving us." Akira answered, her voice losing a bit of it's strength before coming on strong again with her next words. "You're leaving Mahora."

"That would explain all the preparation." Yuna reasoned, crossing her arms.

_Is that...what I've been doing?_ Negi questioned himself. He didn't really take note of all the things he had been doing until they pointed it out for him. Perhaps he really was preparing for something. After what Setsuna told him, he wasn't sure what to feel. All he knew was, there _**WAS**_ a chance that all he had been doing up till now would lead him nowhere. After having his eyes opened to that frustrating possibility, he just started changing his way of going about the situation. He just didn't realize that he had already taken the option of _'pursuing'_ the answer into consideration. Still, he couldn't just come out and admit that they had possibly hit the nail on the head. That was just asking for trouble that he seriously didn't need. The news that he might even consider it would be more than enough to set the girls off.

"You girls are worrying about something that isn't true." Negi lied, keeping a believable front. "Now, I'd like to continue what I was doing if you all don't mind."

"Hmph." Ako crossed her arms, regarding him suspiciously. They kept staring at each other for a good minute before the half-vampire decided to drop it and uncross her arms. "Alright...we'll let it slide for now, but don't think for a second that you're in the clear. We're always watching, and listening. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?" With that, Ako gave the girls the signal that the meeting was over and they took their leave, but not without leaving an impression on the young magi. Dark Ako ran a hand through his hair as she left while Dark Makie winked at him. Dark Yuna pinched his chin affectionately, blowing a kiss at him, and Dark Akira simply tossed him a dark look, licking her chops in a gesture of hunger as she walked past him. When they were all gone, Negi allowed the breath that he was holding to leave him.

"Gawd, that was tense." Negi breathed out, placing his hand over his heart to check how fast it was beating.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Chachazero quipped. _If someone had just allowed me to handle it! _The puppet stole a glance at her master as that thought went through her mind.

"Why do they care so much anyway?"

"You're right." The puppet said mockingly. "Why would all the female vampires on campus care about the only male in the clan?"

"Clan?" Negi blinked at her usage of the word. "What clan?"

"Eva-san's clan, of course. I mean, with the way it's going, you can call it that. Add your contribution to the group, Goodman, and we're on our way to getting somewhere."

"You know...when you put it that way, it sounds like I did something wrong."

"Associating yourself with her in the first place was wrong." Chachazero mumbled, crossing her arms.

Negi's eyes widened in awe. "Are you seriously still stuck on that?"

"Her visits aren't exactly pleasant, ya know." The puppet narrowed her eyes to near slits. "It's like she attaches herself to you. Aren't you bothered by her freaky affection at all?"

"What's so freaky about it?" Negi raised an eyebrow curiously.

"She practically stalks you. I wouldn't be surprised if she has pictures of you on her wall."

* * *

"Here is your tea, mistress." Chachamaru informed Evangeline as she set down the tea platter on the table she was sitting at.

Evangeline sighed, turning way from her book. "About time." She grumbled before something completely illogical happened.

**_"Wah-choo!" _**Chachamaru's sneeze cause her to lose control of her optical beams, burning one of the bushes far behind her mistress to cinders when she dodged in time to save herself. She blinked a few times, trying to understand how her sneezing was even possible while the chibi-vampire kept on looking from the ashes of the bush to her and back.

"_Seriously_...what the hell is that lab brat doing to you?!"

"My apologies, mistress." The gynoid apologized with a low bow.

* * *

_Negi and Chachazero looked around curiously. It felt like their conversation might have triggered something._

"Oh well." Negi shrugged his shoulders. He started turning to walk towards the exit of the chamber, however, something odd caught his attention. It was something that he was sure he had not seen before, and yet there it was, staring him in the face. Near the center of the large bookcase on his left, there was an old page sticking out sloppily on the third shelf. It glimmered due to the gold coating of the page, filling Negi's eyes with a weird gleam that bothered his familiar. The way the scene before her unfolded felt so unnatural...almost as if the page was bewitching her master somehow.

"Master..."

"I wonder what it is." Negi mused, approaching the paper. He carefully slipped it out between the two books that held it so as not to rip it in half, and straightened it out to get a good look of what filled the mysterious page. From the uneven way that the edges appeared to be, it was torn out of a book. _Yue would probably freak if she found out that someone was tearing pages in here. I guess some people just can't help but be destructive...but I seriously don't remember seeing it when I came down this way earlier. _The young magi shrugged his shoulders. Perhaps it was due to his focus on getting away from Makie earlier.

"Hmm..." Negi hummed, reading what was on the page to himself.

_**--**_

_**-F-V-A-**_

_**--**_

_Forgive me father. It is not you whom I think of as I find myself in the madness of all this violence that threatens to consume me, but my mother who I have no memories of since the moment I was aware of my own existence. Is it because I feel that I need her protection? Though I am ashamed to think it, I believe that my heart is indeed filled with the terror of death; that my life could end at any given moment. Forgive me for thinking so lowly of your abilities, but your humanity will not be able to shelter me from the evils of this wondrous yet terrifying world that I have gradually found myself falling deeply in love with. I think to my mother, wondering is she was a beautiful, powerful vampire. I find myself wondering if I could ever live to compare to this vision that I have turned to time after time to illuminate the darkness in my heart when I feel all hope slip away, but alas, it is just a vision. Perhaps this is why I put myself in such danger without hesitation whenever Mistress Beatrix sends me out on the field of war. Could it be that I am searching for my mother in her likeness? Gripping my blood stained blade, my feelings tell me-_

_**--**_

_**-F-V-A-**_

_**--**_

Negi stopped reading immediately, flipping over the page in his hands to see that there was more writing on the back, or was it the front? He wasn't exactly sure, but one thing was for certain. He was holding a diary entry in his hand, but the question was, who did it belong to and what was it doing here on library island of all places? Could it have possibly belonged to Evangeline? With the key words "vampire" and "mistress" in mind, all he knew was that it would be best to talk to his master about this.

"Wow...this is amazing." Negi said almost delightedly.

"What's so amazing about it?" Chachazero asked, looking at the odd characters written on the paper. Ir didn't look like any language she understood, and she knew quite a few. So how was it that Negi was able to read it so easily? _There's something really suspicious about this, and I have a feeling that it'll have some nasty results if-wah?! _The puppet was unable to finish her train of thought as the world around her suddenly began to move and shake. "W-whoa! Let me get a good grip before you move, master Negi! You want me to fall?!"

"Sorry about that, Zero-chan!" Negi apologized to her before proceeding to the balcony of the room; his intended exit, and kicking off the ledge to take off into the sky. The strange diary entry seemed to completely take his mind off the reason he was at the library in the first place...

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_Back with another chapter, and as you can see, I'm trying my best to get in some of my main ideas in the starting chapters to get the story on track. With the girls beginning to get suspicious of Negi and his activities, you can be sure that his sudden disappearance will leave them all broken. You can expect Takane and Mei to be there when it happens as well. Well, introducing the first diary entry that will set off a chain of events in the plot of this story, let's just say that the writer behind them will shake the foundation of the vampiric underworld, and their influence will run deep in the most disturbing places. (Negi already seemingly a victim.)_

_Well for those who are itching to see the first dark mistress make her appearance, you still have to be patient. There's still a little more foundation needed before I introduce them to turn up the heat. Besides, Evangeline still hasn't even had her first actual scene yet, and Mana's bond with Negi hasn't been explored yet either. That, of course, will come in the next chapter...I promise._

Now, for the updates-

(A.N: As you probably noticed, "Dark Madoka" had been replaced with Dark Yuna thanks to someone pointing out an embarrassing mix-up. It Kind of sucks because I had so much planned for her too...although...)

**_Thanks to AznPuffyHair for the new addition to the character line up._**

_Maria de la Gentille_ has joined the brawl... **_(Yeah...I typed that.)_**

_**Thanks to SpiritBlade for the new addition to the character line up...as well as a bunch of new theories that won't let me think straight anymore, but that's why this fic is gonna rock.**_

_Reina Tepes_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**Question Time...you've returned...**_

_Q. What ever happened to Chamo?_

_A. ...You care about that dude? Well, I was hoping nobody would bring him up since I kind of noticed the lack of his presence in the story after the first few chapters in the original. My excuse is that he now hangs out with Asuna, and since she gets even less screen time I'm going to wrap it up by saying that is the reason for his absence._

_Q. Where is Takane and Mei? Are you going to introduce them anytime soon?_

_A. I'll get them in soon._

_Q. You played Kingdom Heart While playing this, didn't you?_

_A. I actually played it about a week after getting your review out of curiosity. Now I want to play part II...geez, thanks for setting that trap for me._

_Q.Wait... I thought that Yuna was the fourth person turned into a vampire by Eva, not Madoka. Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention to FVA, but did you change who got bitten by Eva in the chronology of the fanfic?_

_A. Refer to the author's note please..._

_Q. Chachazero...Negi...Rape...When?_

_A. Um, you're really focused on that scene aren't you? Well, sorry to disappoint, but we've got a long road ahead of us._

_Q. Since Evangeline is confined in Mahora, and Negi is away for most of the fic how much are we going to see of her?_

_A. I'll find a way. Believe me._

_Q. Which chapter will Lucinda come in?_

_A. Not sure yet._

_Q. Will there be any guest cameos? How about Abel or Asthe?_

_A. ...Trinity Blood? Um...well...I don't know..._

* * *

_**Well, Take care...**_

_**Traingham**_

P.S: So sorry for the delay...


	3. The Decision Lingers

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter Three: My Mind Sways _**

_By Traingham_

* * *

In a horror movie or game the main embodiment of evil would usually reside in a dark and gloomy mansion, or palace surrounded by old, fearsome trees with branches that could be mistaken for skeletal arms with grasping lethal claws. Add a touch of lightning cracking across the skies, and the scene would be perfect. For some reason all of these key elements to creating the perfect evil lair did not quite pertain to Evangeline McDowell's residence, nor was it needed. Just the knowledge that the demented little girl resided within the house was more than enough to make the strongest and bravest of men leave wet spots in their pants. That being the case, one would have to give credit to the young Negi Springfield for simply sweating as he approached the door to the residence, clutching the diary entry he acquired from library in his hot, moist hand. He reached into his pocket with his other hand to pull out his keys and did his best to slip the right key into the slot despite the sudden quivering mass of flesh that his arm had become. After a few misses, and scrapes, the door suddenly opened without warning to reveal Chachamaru in her usual maid outfit, her ever constant dull expression gracing her lovely features. Her eyes shifted to meet her miniature counterpart for a fleeting moment before returning to he object of her desires and current desktop image, screen saver, mouse pointer, and etc.

"Good evening, Negi-kun." The gynoid greeted him with a slight bow. "Please make yourself at home." She stepped out of his way and gestured to the couch for him to take a seat on it. When he walked past her, she closed the door and followed him until he settled in. "How was your day?" Chachamaru inquired, standing beside him with her arms held behind her back. The young magi felt slightly nervous with the way she was hovering over him, however, since this was Chachamaru he was dealing with, and not one of the other girls, he was sure that he could trust her not to do anything unreasonable.

"Hectic as usual." Negi answered her with a light sigh. "The library can't be considered a place of peace anymore."

"How unfortunate." Chachamaru commented, walking past him to take the empty spot beside him on the couch. Chachazero took note of this odd behavior and tensed on her master's shoulder just in case she would need to fight off her counterpart's wandering hands. Ever since Chachamaru started giving Negi lessons in cooking, she had become much more physical around him. She had a habit of guiding his hand with her own whenever he had to dice something, or standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders when she wanted him to relax. She even fed him his own food whenever she had the chance. To say that this development annoyed the puppet was a mere play on words. "Perhaps I may be of help to you?"

"Oh?" Negi raised an eyebrow at her offer, and asked, "Um, how?" He took note of how she leaned towards him with both of her hands edging towards him, twitching. Just what was she planning on doing with those?

"I have been reading on how to become a massage therapist...in the case that need for such skills arise." Chachamaru informed him with a curious tone in her voice. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she sounded a bit anxious, but that was impossible. Sure, the gynoid had shown some development in her emotions, however, they never went beyond light sadness or happiness. Right now she seemed a tad bit eager to reach out and make contact with him. "I can help you relax if you wish."

_Chachazero nearly freaked..._

"Want me to help_ you _relax?" Chachazero had enough of this, pulling out one of her blades in the blink of an eye. She pointed it directly at Chachamaru's right eye, but the gynoid did not look the least bit fazed. The hint of emotion that was on her face from being so close to the young magi, melted away, replaced by her usual bored gaze.

"Your assistance would not be necessary, neither appreciated." Chachamaru deadpanned at her counterpart, much to Chachazero's building irritation. That feeling, however, went away when she saw her younger sister actually tense up as though something deeply disturbed her, which was odd in itself since she was a gynoid. That was beginning to seem like it didn't matter anymore though. Hakase was making a habit up updating her every week with something she felt would contribute to her emotional development. She was doing an excellent job. That aside, Negi tensed up as well, looking up to the stair steps to find his master in all of her glory, leaning against the railing with her chin resting in one hand. A lazy grin crossed her lips as her eyes narrowed with interest at the sight of her dear fledgling, slightly overshadowed by her inhumanely long, platinum hair. She was adorned in her pajamas, although Negi realized that they were quite different from before. They still retained the usual doll like quality that his master loved so much, however, the shirt stopped just above her midriff, giving him a clear view of her stomach. He wasn't exactly sure why, but the sight was having an effect on him that he never experienced around the vampiress and it irked him quite a bit.

_...Maybe It'd be best if I just shove those thoughts where she can't read them._ Negi thought to himself, doing his best to force a grin at best in the presence of his master as she descended the stairs to meet him. Her movements were very fluid as usual, graceful and feline-like. The air that surrounded her was fit for an individual of noble blood. It demanded respect, carrying a silent declaration of punishment if one were to go against it. Everything about Evangeline McDowell was simply intimidating, and there were few who could look past it all to see the charming woman that laid behind the walls she placed around her heart. Negi was one of the few, however, in his case, she was willing to let him plunge even further beyond that. The only thing that kept him from doing so was his own fears. If there was one thing that could be said of the darkness that Evangeline possessed, it was of the seductive quality it held, and the promise of no escape should one venture far enough into it. On a few occasions, Negi had come close to stepping beyond that point of no return only to wisely turn back. That, though, was a story for another time.

Evangeline's emerald eyes captured Negi with deep interest as she tested the ripples of emotion that swirled in her fledgling's mind. Although she had to admit that the young magi was gradually getting a grasp over how to mask himself from her influence, he still allowed an open channel to lay unguarded and easily noticed by her to enter his consciousness with. That being the way it was, the disturbance in Negi's thoughts were like an open book to her, not to mention the small itch that came from admiring her appearance. She allowed a pleased smirk to pass over her lips briefly at the welcome stir in the young magi's hormones. The fun had yet to come.

"Chachamaru." Evangeline called the attention of her servant, taking note of the closeness she was sharing with Negi on the couch. It had come to her attention long ago that the gynoid had a budding crush on the young man, but now it was apparent that Chachamaru was no longer satisfied with keeping those feelings at a safe distance. She was now attempting to push her affections past mere words. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how the view was taken, Chachazero was there to keep her at bay. The gynoid's shyness when it came to the young wizard managed to stall her progression a bit as well, although even that was in the process of vanishing. "Be a good hostess, and prepare us some tea, will you?"

"Yes, mistress." Chachamaru followed obediently, standing up from her seat beside her crush quickly before walking to the kitchen to attend to her duties. Her walk slowed a bit as she neared the doorway, but luckily for her, Evangeline didn't take any notice to it. The chibi-vampire's attention seemed to be completely on Negi much to his growing nervousness. He was beginning to find the idea of questioning her about her past a little less opportune with each passing moment between them, and...she had a cute belly button...

_Ah! Where did that come from?!_ Negi inwardly anted to smack himself for that passing thought. Perhaps it was because he was no longer used to seeing her skin as much as he did when he lived with her that the sight was now having an effect on him. He wasn't sure, but he found his mind caught between the decision to think of what to say or cut all intelligent signals and just ogle her. Luckily for him, she saved him the pressure of initiating their conversation.

"You decided to come a bit earlier than you usually do." She began, taking her seat on the other side of the couch. She curled up to get comfortable, and looked back at Negi with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What drove you here so early? More pheromones in the air than you could normally put up with?"

"You're referring to the girls?" Negi asked, nothing better to reply with coming to mind.

"Obviously." The vampiress rolled her eyes.

"You can sort of say that." Negi replied to his master's question, a look of understanding flashing along his features at her constructed question. "Lately they've become a bit more needy for attention." His shoulders slumped with a sigh. "It's like they're crowding me."

His reply amused the dark girl, having her lean in his direction slightly with her hand cupping her chin. "Sounds like you're finally getting tired of them."

"Tired?" Negi jerked back quickly as if he was physically struck by her words. The worn expression on his face lightened as he let out a chuckle. "A little annoyed...maybe, but I could never get tired of them. I love them." He didn't catch the subtle change in his master's posture. "They're my family." His words made the grin on Evangeline's face look more like a scowl for a moment.

"How sweet." The chibi-vampire offered him her sarcasm before rolling her eyes with a small shrug. "Gonna need an insulin injection for that." She grumbled. The way she reacted got the young magi beginning to think that she felt little miffed by his words. Was it that she didn't think he involved her in that group?

"I-I feel that same way about you, Eva."

"Oh?" Evangeline perked up with a devilish grin. "You think I'm needy for attention?"

Negi's eyes widened with fear. This was beginning to seem like another one of Evangeline's favorite mocking games. She had a fondness for twisting his words for her own amusement. "Um, uh, no! You've got it-" He held out his hands defensively when the vampiress got on all fours and crawled over to his side of the couch like a kitten. "-wrong! Totally not what I meant!"

Evangeline squeezed between his arms easily with her petite frame and pinned his shoulders, allowing her weight to fall upon him. "So, I crowd you?" She lowered her face towards his with a serious expression.

"Yea- I mean, no." He sunk his head into the couch cushion as best he could. "N-no crowding."

"But..." Evangeline's eyes suddenly got intense. "You do love me." She said more as a statement than a question, and the tone f her voice was simply intimidating. The young magi was inwardly coming to an understanding of how important it was to think before he spoke. This rule was especially important when it came to the girl pinning him down with her body. Despite the pleasant feeling he got from being so close to his master, there was also a lingering fear because he knew what she was capable of, and just how willing she would be to do it.

"...Yeah..." Negi answered her, finding her emerald eyes to be more entrancing than usual. Evangeline must have been using her own powers of seduction on him this time. Was she trying to frustrate him on purpose, or was there something darker in mind? Knowing her, he couldn't be too sure.

"Then tell me those words right now."

"You mean-"

"Yeah." Evangeline smiled wickedly, baring her pearly white fangs for him to see. "Go ahead...don't make me wait."

"I-"

"I.." Evangeline went along with him.

Negi blinked a few times in confusion before going on, "-L...L-"

"L-"

"Lo-"

"Lo..."Evangeline prodded him on. "You're almost there."

"I l-l...love...y-y-"

"Kind of hard, huh?" Evangeline cut him off after all of his stammering. She arched her back, still looking down at him and whipped her hair to the side with a dark expression on her face. She seemed a little miffed. "Don't tell me those words unless you can really mean them. Last man who tried that on me got killed."

"W-what?!" Negi jerked up, almost throwing him off of her. "You killed him?! W-Why?!"

"He attempted to rob me of my free will afterwards." Evangeline explained casually as if it was something that happened everyday. "Might have done the job if he was dealing with a weak minded fool." Her expression lightened up a bit again. "Don't worry though. I have all eternity to wait for your resolve to come." She raised an eyebrow when she heard the sound of someone coming to a halt behind them, and turned her body around to see Chachamaru with the tea tray in her hands, waiting patiently. The expression on her face was completely unreadable as usual, but something was still off about her.

"Ima frkin krl oo." Negi flinched when he felt something under his shoulder shift impatiently. He blinked a few times before he realized that Chachazero must have been under him the entire time Evangeline pinned him down. He leaned forward quickly, wrapping an arm around his master's waist so she wouldn't fall backwards. The puppet saw her chance to come to the surface and climbed the side of the couch to sit on the back cushion, crossing her arms. "Did you forget about me that easily?" She asked Negi, anger laced in her voice.

"No way." Negi answered her quickly, offering her an apologetic grin, but his moment with his familiar was cut short when Chachamaru decided to make herself known. Negi was sure that he detected some emotion when she interjected, "The tea is ready." They all turned their attention back to her, Evangeline still sitting on Negi's lap while he held her by the waist, finding that there were clearly dents in the platter that the gynoid held. She appeared to be gripping the sides so hard that her fingers were pressing into them.

"Good." Evangeline replied before looking back at her fledgling in mock innocence. She looked down to find her stomach still pressed against his chest from the awkward position they were in and said, "You sure seem comfortable."

"Huh?" Negi blinked. "What are you talki..." He looked down and got her drift. "Yeah, um-" He let go of her and she got off of him. "-Sorry about that."

"Hm." Was her simple reply, giving Negi no implication of whether that was to say ir was alright, or to show her distaste for his action. Well, trivial thoughts like that were just bound to get his mind of his original reason for coming, now wasn't it? He settled down in his seat again, feeling Chachazero take her seat on his shoulder, and Evangeline accepted a tea cup from her maid before taking a long sip. She sighed at the soothing sensation of the warm liquid traveling down her throat, and she regarded Negi almost lazily. It wasn't until the young magi was done taking his sip that he realized her eyes on him. It was pretty unsettling.

"...Yes?" He asked.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Evangeline set her cup down on the table and crossed her legs. "I mean, that is your reason for coming so early, right? You wanna get something off your chest?"

_Negi set down his cup with a nod..._

"It's nothing too important, but I figured it would help a lot with a few of the things that's been troubling me lately."

"Hmm..." Evangeline hummed as she picked up her cup again for another sip. "From how it sounds coming from you mouth, it seems important."

"I guess..."

"So stop stalling." The vampiress said impatiently.

"Okay..." He appeared a little hesitant after hearing the rushed manner in her voice. Now he felt his resolve wither a little more. Why was it so hard to speak to her whenever she got this way. He could already feel her turning him down. He did his best to swallow his nervous tingle, and took a deep breath before saying, "I was hoping that you could finally tell me a bit about your past."

The room became quite silent after he got the words out of his mouth. Chachazero and Chachamaru almost appeared to have gone petrified from shock, or horror. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but one thing was clear to him as he stared back into his master's brilliant orbs. He just asked for the keys to a very sensitive lock. Evangeline's past was something she wasn't too willing to share with many, most of all not him. Any question about her vampirism would only be answered by a glare or a refusal. She would tell him that revealing such information would shame her image in his eyes, which was something that really struck him hard because it meant that she _cared_ about how he viewed her. That was enough to tell him that she held him in some sort of regard. That would have explained why her first reaction seemed so defensive.

"Why would you want to know about something like that?" Evangeline lost the playful buzz she had on earlier. "Didn't you say yourself that my past held no importance to you?"

"That's true." The young man nodded.

"So why the change of heart?" She shifted in her seat a bit to get a better look at him.

"Because..." Negi swallowed hard before he went on, "Despite how close we've become, I feel like I'm still in the dark about who you really are." When Evangeline didn't respond, he continued. "I care about you, Eva-chan. I can say that much without the slightest bit of hesitation, but there's just something about you that I can't seem to figure out. You're still detached from me in this relationship, and I can't help but feel that it's because you want to keep something from me."

The vampires scoffed. "What would that be?"

"Well, you're pretty sensitive about your past when it comes to myself, and yet...you've told Setsuna and some of the others about yourself. What's up with that?" Negi inquired, however, he felt as though his steadily building boldness had been smashed with a wrecking ball when his heard his master chuckle darkly.

"You are fishing for something." Evangeline said, nodding her head with her eyes closed. When she opened them, her emerald orbs pierced Negi's very soul. He'd finally struck a cord in her again. The last time something of a similar nature happened, she did something very unexpected. He could only hope that she wouldn't react the same way as before. "Chachamaru..." The dark girl called to the gynoid that had been listening anxiously. She was afraid that her mistress was going to lunge at the young magi at any moment. What distressed her was what she would do if that happened. Sure, she would protect Negi from anything without a second thought, but Evangeline was a different story entirely.

"Yes, mistress?" Chachamaru asked.

"You are dismissed." Evangeline told her, much to her dread. She noticed a slight shiver in Negi as well. He knew now that there as going to be nothing to hinder the vampiress if she felt so inclined to do something. What made his spirits sink even further was when she added, "Take Chachazero with you. It would seem that Negi and I haven't had a serious talk in a while, and I wouldn't want to deprive my underling of some intimate bonding if that's what he desires."

The gynoid was reluctant in complying with her wishes, but she did as she was told, walking over behind the couch to pluck her counterpart off of her master's shoulders.

"Be strong!" The puppet cheered her master before she was taken out of the room by her sister.

Evangeline took one final glance at the kitchen door to check if Chachamaru was spying on them before taking a sip from her cup again. When she set it back down on the table, she snapped her fingers and a dark void appeared at the center of the living room. It expanded quickly, swallowing her and Negi before it faded away to reveal the resort. Negi looked around, surprised to find himself sitting in one of the beach chairs instead of the couch he was occupying mere seconds ago.

"Eva..." Negi turned to look at her to find that she had taken on her older form. The pajamas she had on had adapted to fit the contours of her shapely figure, though the shirt seemed to be on the verge of popping open due to her generous bosom. The only thing that kept her cleavage from being too revealing was her long hair. Right now, Negi knew he was treading on some dangerous grounds.

"So tell me what it is that you wish to know." Evangeline's sultry voice sent shivers down her disciples spine. "My crimes? My dreams and ambitions?" She licked her lips wickedly before saying, "The body count, perhaps? What do you want to know about your master, sensei?"

"Anything." Negi replied.

Evangeline closed her eyes in irritation, frowning back at him. "That would be a lie, of course."

"Hm?"

"_Just anything_ won't do." Evangeline explained cryptically as she opened her eyes again. "You see...your troubles come from the fact that you need some sort of consent to give you assurance." The mistress unfolded her left from her right, switching their positions before settling in again. "Something to let you know that you're not playing on the wrong side. Am I right?"

_...She read right through me, didn't she?_ Negi gripped the arm rests of the beach chair, feeling a bead of sweat forming on the side of his forehead. Apparently, he still had a long way to go before he would ever be able to elude Evangeline's mind reading. He saw that his master was still awaiting an answer, and said, "Yeah..."

"Now we're making progress." She smirked as she leaned forward in her seat. "Not so hard now, was it?"

"...No."

"My question is, what do you need such assurance for?"

"...It's kind of...I don't think you'd want to know..." His words caught her interest rather quickly.

"Oh, is that so?" Evangeline mused with a slight nod of her head before her eyes sharpened upon him like daggers. "Tell me anyway." Her voice took on a harsh tone that rattled his stomach.

"Ha..Ha.." Negi suddenly started to feel a little hot under the collar. Oh why did he have to open his damn mouth for?! He should have known by now how much trouble a few words could get him in to. _And this is why I need you around, Zero-chan. Someone needs to curb my tongue._ "Erm...ahem," The young magi cleared his throat, "You see...I've been thinking..." Negi straightened himself out and leaned forward in his chair, gathering as much of his inner strength as he possibly could for his next words. "Do you think you've...changed from the person you were before?"

_Evangeline blinked...blinked...blinked some more..._

_Negi felt his mouth go completely dry..._

_Evangeline stood up..._

_Negi cowered..._

"You mean like..." Evangeline walked right up to him and leaned over his rigid form, placing her hands upon her hips. "...reform?"

"Yep." Negi squeaked.

"...Why?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes until they were slits. "You have a problem with the way I am now?"

"No!"

"Then what's the big idea?"

"Well...c-could you back up?" Negi requested nervously. "It's kind of warm."

"But I just love to be so close to you..." The dark mistress told him, her hands twitching, disturbingly enough. Was she going to strangle him? "So deal with it."

"It's just...what would you do if you were released?" Negi's question managed to get her to back off of him just a bit. She crossed her arms silently, and to the young magi's intrigue, a thoughtful expression washed over her features before she closed her eyes in deep concentration. "I mean...have you ever thought about it? Would you live out a peaceful life like the one you're living now...or..." He inwardly cringed at the thought of what he would say next. He just hoped it wouldn't give her ideas. "...Would you return to being Dark Evangel?"

"Hmm...well, murdering the old man that runs the school would be a fine start." She inwardly smirked at the way her fledgling's jaw dropped at her response. "The nerve of him making me his bodyguard. Heh, the irony of the situation would be scrumptious. Afterwards, I'll have you seduce all of the young women that attend Mahora and turn them into my loyal servants. I think this campus would make the perfect palace."

"Y-you can't be serious!"

"Yeah, you're right." Evangeline nodded as if she forgot something. "I'd have to kill Takamichi, too. I never liked the bastard anyway."

"W-Why?" Negi's eyes widened in surprise. "That's cruel!"

Evangeline stared at him for a few seconds before she burst out into an evil fit of laughter, pointing at him the entire time. "Oh god, the look on your face is just priceless! You're so easy to fool that it breaks my heart, you know?!" The mistress looked almost child-like despite her older appearance. "I mean, what would I gain from doing something like that? All of the brats that attend here would probably be useless to me anyway. They'd all be so much more focused on jumping you while you weren't looking."

"S-So...does that mean-"

"I suppose living a peaceful life would be pretty boring compared to the lifestyle I'm used to. It wouldn't be very satisfying." Evangeline placed a hand on her hip, flipping her hair to the side with the other. "Chachamaru isn't exactly lively company so things would get pretty dull...but I suppose if someone else were to keep me company for the rest of the eternity that I have left to live, things wouldn't be so bad." Se chuckled, offering Negi a genuine smile that completely dazzled him. Without her usual evil expression gracing her lovely features, she looked more like a goddess than a demoness. "I might even find it rewarding to finally get away from my past and look to what's ahead of me for a change."

"...Eva..." Negi was left speechless.

"Of course, if I were to find someone to spend this _undying night_ with."

"Do...Do you-"

"You're dismissed, Negi." The vampiress suddenly cut him off before he get another word out of his mouth. "I actually appreciate that you would go out of your way to talk to me like this. It's a welcome change of pace." She turned away from him and proceeded to walk away. "Enjoy the rest of your night. I will." And with that she was off, never looking back.

"...You're welcome."

_**Getting back to the living room...**_

Negi phased back into the living room from the dimensional ripple that the vampiress left for him, and made a straight bee-line for the couch to take a seat. He plopped down, letting a hand fall against his forehead, and sighed deeply. Coming to this house never failed to provide him with another heart pounding experience, and it was usually from his master of all possible people. He lay there, looking across the room in silence before his right hand started to pat the side of his jacket pocket. He knew that he was forgetting something. The reason he came so early in the first place was because he wanted to show Evangeline the diary entry he found.

"Darn. Why don't I ever get anything right?" He muttered to himself. "Well, she made it clear that she didn't want to talk anymore. That really blew my chance." He closed his eyes, seeking the passage for sleep that had been eluding him for the past few days. Being a nocturnal allowed him to put off sleep, but for only so long.

"Negi-kun?" The young magi found himself opening his eyes again at the sound of the soft call.

"Hm?" He responded lazily.

"Ah, did I wake you?"

"No...I wasn't really asleep."

"Very well. I just wanted to know of your condition, but it seems that you made it out in one piece." After she had finished speaking, Chachamaru allowed herself to take the place beside Negi on the couch. She was still adorned in her maid outfit, but she pulled off the cap to allow her hair to fall freely. "Tired?"

"Yeah." Negi answered her, folding his hands over his stomach. "It's been a long few days."

"Then perhaps it is of our convenience that I have nothing to cook with for tonight." The gynoid commented, looking upon him warmly. Her expression melted away all of the worries the young magi had about missing his chance at showing his master his discovery.

_I suppose there's always tomorrow._ He nodded at his own reasoning. "So, no lessons?" He inquired, more to humor himself than to really hear the answer since he was already sure what her reply would be.

"I'm afraid not." Chachamaru answered. "However..." The gynoid gradually took on a timid presence that made Negi inwardly chuckle. He had to admit that she had a knack for looking quite cute when she was in distress of her emotions. Chachazero would probably want to bop him one for such thoughts. He knew how much she envied the gynoid, and for him to have such endearing thoughts about her would set the puppet off. "...If tomorrow...after classes, you would accompany me to the city market...we may be able to reschedule for the evening."

"I'd like that." Negi replied, causing two rosy hues to appear on her cheeks from the internal heat that her gears worked up.

"I as well..." She found herself disappointed when Negi finally stood up from the couch and looked around curiously before regarding her quizzically.

"Yes?" She awaited his question.

"Where did you leave, Zero-chan?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh, her..." Chachamaru had a hint of reluctance in her voice for a moment when she spoke. "I left her on the kitchen counter."

"Thanks." The young magi told her, heading for the kitchen doorway. What he found, however, wasn't exactly what Chachamaru had told him. Instead, he found Chachazero taped on top of one of the oven burners. The puppet didn't seem to be in distress, but she flinched when he called out her name in a panicked voice.

"Z-Zero-chan!" Negi rushed over to free her.

"Hey, master Negi." She greeted him calmly, turning her head to regard him.

"What happened to you?" Negi asked, quickly unbinding her.

"We got into an argument." The puppet answered him vaguely. She felt him grab her by the sides of her stomach before he perched her on his head where she usually preferred to be whenever they were on the go. "So how did things go with Eva-san?" She asked as they left the kitchen to enter the living room.

"It went well." Negi answered her before bidding Chachamaru farewell. When he headed for the door Chachazero turned around on the top of his head to taunt her sister. The gynoid attempted to answer her, but the door closed shut behind Negi before she could do anything at all.

"...Scrap..." Chachamaru muttered to no one in particular.

Negi looked up at the evening sky when he got off the stair steps of Evangeline's porch, and placed his hands on his hips before heaving a peaceful sigh. Perhaps it was just due to his nocturnal nature, but he appreciated the calm darkness more than the lively sunlight. He could bask in the moonlight for hours and it would be the high-point of his day. This was especially true with the day he'd just survived. Now all that was left was to go back home to Asuna and Konoka, and-

"Huh?" Negi looked around at the trees surrounding them when he sensed a presence. To anyone else it would have been perfectly masked, but it couldn't get past his heightened senses. _Could it be the girls again? Maybe they've come back for another interrogation?_ His thoughts went to Ako, and the others. They did say that he wasn't off the hook. Now would be the perfect time for them to come back. There would be no one to interrupt them.

"What do you think, Zero-chan?" He asked his familiar. "You feel that?"

"It isn't vampiric. I can tell that much." Chachazero informed him.

"Really?" Negi relaxed. _Then who else would be spying on us like this if not them? Could it be..._

"Mana?" Negi called out her name just loud enough for her to hear. There was a rustle in the tree that was beside him, and he looked up toward the branches to find that his guess was right. There the lovely marksman sat, sporting some black jeans and a white top that stopped above her stomach accompanied by a black, long sleeve jean jacket. Her hair danced along with the cool evening breeze, her piercing eyes locked upon him, unmoving.

"Good evening, Negi." Mana greeted him.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Waiting for you, of course."

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

_**Tatsumiya Shrine...**_

The moonlight that hit the Tatsumiya shrine gave is a ghastly glow. The reeds swayed along with the wind, whistling a tune only those who were present during the evening were familiar with and the green, dim lights that flickered on and off from the fireflies offered a romantic vibe. They weren't the only visitors to the shrine tonight, however. The dim lights of one of the small shrine houses glowed in the darkness and two people were laid along it's porch side-by-side, looking up at the lunar orb that was a shepherd to the stars. They didn't exchange any words for a while. They just seemed to be content in each other's company.

Negi ran his pinky through Chachaero's green hair the way she loved most as she sat upon his chest, looking out into the distance. He wanted to remain silent a little longer as to not shatter that moment he was sharing with Mana, but something managed to bother him. "So what's on your mind?" He asked the dark skinned woman softly, cradling his familiar in his arms before turning on his side so she wouldn't fall. Mana didn't answer immediately, remaining motionless as she continued to admire the view. It wasn't until she allowed a sigh to leave her lips that she turned on her side as well to come face to face with the vampire.

"A few things caught my attention about you." Mana answered him without any hesitation. That was a quality that Negi found he admired about her. She was never afraid to give him a straight answer. "Things are changing, and I can feel it."

"For the best?" Negi asked.

"You tell me." Mana replied. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"Have you been spying on me?" He asked suspiciously.

"I have my ways." She said, a smirk playing upon her lips as a few strands of her hair fell over her face. Her beauty came close to rivaling Evangeline in her older form. It was no surprise that she was the most sought after girl on campus. If not for her cold nature guys would have been making passes at her every chance they had. Instead, only the boldest even dared to approach her, and yet here she was with him. He wasn't sure quite how he caught her attention. When he first started out as a teacher she was pretty cold and distant to him. Was it her knowledge of his nocturnal nature that had drawn her to him? Mana was keen on seeing things that other girls weren't able to catch. One intense engagement with Negi was all she needed to know that there was a dramatic change in him. The night she called him to the shrine so long ago was when she confirmed that.

_I guess that's not really being fair. She started warming up to me after the Kyoto incident._ The young magi thought to himself. "You already know about my efforts to free, Eva-chan." He started off. "Yue has been helping me with it for a while, but I came to realize that it was about as effective as searching for a needle in a haystack."

"You just realized that now?" Mana poked a him with some sarcasm.

"Wow, that makes me feel better." Negi answered her sarcasm with some of his own, eliciting a soft giggle from her. "I suppose if Setsuna had not spoken to me about it, I would still be searching through that library for the next few months before I figured it out for myself."

"I assume that was her reason for pulling you away after class that one time?"

"Yeah."

"And here I thought it was just simple jealousy."

"I don't think you're too far from the truth." Negi humored her. "She got pretty touchy when I started looking for you over her shoulder."

"So what are you planning now? Are you just giving up?"

"...No...I'm not sure what comes next..." Negi replied, sounding a little discouraged.

"What do you mean?"

"Originally I figured that I'd just leave Mahora-"

"Leave?" Mana cut him off.

"Yeah." Negi nodded. "You know...search for the answers out there."

"By looking for your father?" Mana went ahead of him.

"...Something like that..." The mention of his old man had that sort of effect on him. The _"Thousand Master"_ seemed to be nothing more than a legend now. From what Negi heard from Takamichi there were no updates on his where abouts in any magazines or newspapers. The higher ups in the mage council had completely lost track of him. Getting a hold of him was like trying to keep grains of sand from slipping through your fingers if that was any way to describe it. "Any leads would do fine. If I could just find out where he learned the scholasticus curse, it might be possible to find the way to dispelling it."

"I understand. So then, what is holding you back?"

"I don't know how the girls will take it." Negi answered her somberly. "I've been with them since the beginning. To leave them on their final year of high school...it'd be like betraying them."

"Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"They're big girls." Mana told him with a smirk. "What's a little heart break going to do to them?"

"...If you put it that way..."

"You can't be with them forever. You should understand that more than they do."

"I guess so..." Negi nodded still sounding a little unsure. He turned onto his back again, and Mana did the same, looking back up to the stars.

_...They remained in silence..._

"How long will you be away?" Mana suddenly asked.

"I don't know."

"You mean, you haven't given yourself a set amount of time away?" Her voice had taken on a sudden edge.

"I figure...until I find what I'm looking for."

_...Another moment of silence..._

"That could take more than just a while."

"You're right."

"So?" Mana trailed off, awaiting something more to come from his mouth.

"It would feel weird to just return with nothing."

"Yeah..." Mana nodded.

_...More silence..._

"You're going alone?" The marksman inquired curiously.

"Zero-chan is coming with me." Negi replied, stroking the puppet's head.

"You won't ask for Takamichi's help?"

"I need someone to cover for me while I'm gone." The vampire answered her with a light hearted chuckle. "Not just anyone can handle the girls. They'd probably scare any mundane substitutes away with their magic."

"You're _"Dark Evangel's"_ fledgling. What makes you think that you won't come across any trouble? Her reputation is pretty sensitive with those who know the details of how she received it."

"Evangeline has trained me for those sort of situations. I can handle myself." He thought that she would let him finish at that, but he saw her shift towards him from the corner of his eye and turned to face her as well, making sure to keep Chachazero from falling. "...Yes?" He asked nervously. Her eyes were more intense than usual. She appeared to be thinking pretty hard about something.

"...I'm coming with you." Mana said outright.

"W-what?!" Negi flinched back at her words. "Mana, you can't!"

"Why not?" Her voice got very cold.

"You act like I could afford that!" Negi regarded her as though she had lost her mind. "I don't have that sort of money!"

Mana sighed, closing her eyes before her hand shot out to grab him by the shirt. She pulled him up to her face with a jerk and stared him directly in the eyes with her piercing orbs. It was enough to make Negi almost lose control of his bladder. He wasn't sure if he'd insulted her in any way, but he just hoped she could find it in her heart to forgive him. He didn't want their friendship to end in violence. "Negi..." She spoke slowly and softly. They were like the words of an assassin before she ended the life of her victim; Soft yet deadly. "I will never charge you if you're in need of my assistance."

_What world did I just step into?_ Negi resisted the urge to wake up from this dream he was having. Mana would even charge a man on the verge of death with a bullet in his stomach if he begged her to make the pain go away. "No...charge?"

"I am at your service as long as there is a breath in my body. This I pledge, eternally."

"..." Negi blinked a few times before letting out the breath he was holding. "Mana...you can't be serious..."

"I told you what would happen if I got attached." Mana winked at him in a chilling fashion that made his blood run cold. "I don't remember asking you if I could go anyway. I'm just going."

_**-F-V-A-**_

Negi dragged his feet as he walked down the hall to Asuna and Konoka's dorm room. The expression on his face would have put Chachamaru to shame. Once again, life decided to be very unfair to him. The young magi looked up at the ceiling, imagining that he was looking up at the heavens above and he pointed at it with an accusing finger. He jabbed his finger up at the ceiling twice before letting his arm fall to the side with a swing.

"Looks like you're blaming the gods for something." Chachazero cackled. "You're following Evangeline's footsteps already. She would be proud of you, ya know that?"

"That's not helping, Zero." Negi mumbled. When he finally got to the door, it opened without warning to reveal Konoka. The bubbly girl's eyes lit up with life at the sight of him and she crashed into him with a loving hug that cracked his ribs.

"Negiiiiii! Welcome hoooome!" She swung his body from side to side, which was quite a feat since the vampire was slightly taller than her meaning his feet were dragging against the floor while it was all going on. "You came so late tonight!" She whined, finally refraining from her love attack. "Asuna's been ranting on about you ever since she got back.

"H-has she?" Negi asked with a waver in his voice from all the shaking. She had completely woken him. _Why do I feel like someone is trying to make my decision to leave much harder than it already is?_

"Yeah." She let go of him. "Maybe you should talk to her."

"I'll do that." Negi told her with a nod, walking in when she stepped out the way. _I'm not getting sleep tonight..._

"Oh, hi Chachazero!" Konoka greeted the puppet when Negi walked past her.

"S'up, love freak."

* * *

_**Two Days Later...**_

The sun shined high upon the lively grounds of Mahora campus. The freshmen were up and early, walking the campus grounds to get breakfast and meet up with their cliques at the various cafes and other places in the city. The club members rushed to their meeting rooms to get the agendas for the day ready, and other students who weren't as serious about their academic lives rushed to computer labs and studies to get the work they put off the night before completed. It seemed like any other day at the magical campus, however, preparations had been made and by the end of the day things were going to change. Hearts were destined to be broken, and fates set on track to be fulfilled. The day of destiny had arrived, and no one could have ever predicted it's arrival.

Those who were to be affected most left their dorm rooms with smiles on their face, eager to meet the challenges and encounters that the day would have prepared for them. They talked with each other of the exciting things they would do with their young teacher, and the gossip that was making it's way across the rumor mill. They rushed out of the train and raced across the campus grounds to reach the classroom early so they could catch up with their friends. They all did as they normally did, and as expected things went along normally. It was another normal day...deceptively normal with it's normal ways.

The girls poured into the classroom, greeting Negi as they walked by his desk and took their seats, but there was something slightly off about their teacher today. The smile or nervous grin that usually graced his handsome features, depending on the situation, was substituted by a straight line. His eyes, which were usually filled with vibrant life was gone only to be replaced with stoic orbs that whirled with concentration and perhaps some strain to keep something from slipping out. His hand weren't folded on the desk in front of him like they usually were. Instead, he had one hand upon his forehead while the other was sprawled along the desk lifelessly. the young man sitting at the desk had to be an impostor! There could be no other explanation for why he was behaving they way he was now.

"Good morning, Negi-sensei!" They all chimed at him in an attempt to bring out his usual cheery greeting.

"Good morning everyone." Negi answered their greeting with one that lacked his usual magic. His down beat behavior managed to even disturb Evangeline. She usually teased him whenever he showed signs of fatigue or dread at the inevitable trouble the the girls brought along with their boundless energy, but right now there was something else at hand. He was clearly distressed for reasons that were more serious than those other trivial things. She found that his mind was even inaccessible to her. Now that was saying something...

"Mistress." Chachamaru leaned over to the chibi-vampire with a hint of worry laced in her voice. "Negi-kun seems to be distressed."

"That would be stating the obvious." Evangeline replied, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "...Something about his behavior is bothering me. I don't like the looks of this too much."

"What do you think is bothering, Negi?" Konoka asked Setsuna, taking the seat beside the swordsman.

"...I don't know." Setsuna lied to her, as much as it killed her to do it. _I wish I didn't have the faintest idea._

"Negi-chan?" Makie called out to their beloved teacher.

Negi turned to her slowly. "Um, yeah, Makie-chan?"

"What's the matter?"

"The matter?" Negi echoed her words, attempting to find something to answer with that wouldn't get the girls suspicious. "Oh...I,erm...had a dream last night that just kind of depressed me." His answers made all the girls with the exception of Evangeline and a few others nod and talk amongst themselves. They all had come to associate Negi's depression with his father or Chao. They all didn't have any knowledge about Dorothy's involvement in his life so there wasn't much to work with but those prior two.

"Cheer up!" Ayaka immediately took the chance to lift his spirits in order to show him how much she cared for him. She would do anything if it would bring a smile to her beloved Negi...if that was anything to feel all warm and fuzzy about. "It was just a dream! We're here for you whenever you need us!" She was oblivious to how much her words hurt the young magi. He just blinked at them for a moment before clearing his throat to keep his inner feelings from betraying him.

"Ahem..th-thanks guys."

_**"Hey, anytime!"**_

_**"You know you can count on us!**_

_**"We should totally have a party to cheer him up!"**_

_**"Yeah!"**_

_**"I'm open for a hug!"**_

_**"I'll make you feel better, sensei!"**_

"...Thanks." Negi repeated. He stood up from his desk quickly, knocking one of his paper weights down in the process and scramble to the floor quickly to pick it up. While the behavior caused some of the girls to giggle, there were others who could only feel suspicious about it.

_His behavior is getting worse._ Dark Ako shot a telepathic message to her fellow sisters.

_He's up to something. I know he is. _Dark Akira inwardly growled. _His lies at the library before were clear to me. You should have allowed me to force the truth from him._

_It will be hard for us to approach him this time, however. _Dark Yuna informed them. When the other three glanced at her, she gestured to Evangeline with a tilt of her head.

_She suspects him too._ Dark Makie warned them. _Cornering Negi-chan while she has plans of her own won't be in our best interest._

_Dammit! It might even already be too late for us to intervene!_ Dark Ako cursed.

_Then what are we supposed to do?!_ Dark Makie asked, anxiety clear in her telepathic voice. It did well to stir negative emotions within her other dark sisters. The situation was looking very grim.

_...Hope that "Dark Evangel" isn't willing to let him go..._ Dark Ako replied, looking to their mistress. _The time to convince him to remain with us is gradually ticking away from us. We'll just have to hit his heart with everything we've got. We'll manipulate him through his emotions and remind him just why his heart is anchored to Mahora. If we fail, we'll lose him... _

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_The past few weeks have been busy, and exhausting. Letting my head fall upon a pillow after work has allowed afternoons to pass me by, and angry voice mails from friends to fill my cell. Anyway, a virus managed to hit my laptop while my Norton subscription was expired so accessing fanfiction in nearly impossible for some reason. This chapter is actually incomplete because I originally intended to write up to the point of Negi's leave, leading into the aftermath of his absence as seen through Setsuna's eyes, but I figured I should release another chapter since I've taken long enough. Blame it on the virus...seriously!  
_

_Heart breaks, and an enraged Mana is yet to come. (Those who remember Chappie 22 of the prequel understand.) Chachamaru attempts to make her mark, and the Dark quartet (Thanks to whoever placed that in my head.) band together to try and ensure that Negi will change his mind about leaving. A face off between Negi and Evangeline is in order, and Takane and Mei make their first appearance. The time for leaving Mahora has come, and the passage to the world of vice is about to open. Let's rock._

_**New Characters...**_

_Lil' Mika (chibi-vampire news reporter)...Tobias Nequam (Dark Lord)  
_

_Tomo Tsukino (Kotaro's Fiance)_

_Motoko Himura (Negi's female rival)_

_Tristan Sigismund (Dark Lord)_

* * *

_**Question Time...**_

_Q. Who is the writer behind the diary entires?_

_A. Too early to be asking that..._

_Q. Will Negi freeing Evangeline from his father's curse be an important theme this time around?_

_A. It will be one of the main themes..._

_ ive noticed that your fic is not posted as negixeva fic anymore, so does that mean their not going to be the pair?_

_A. That is the main pairing. Can't abandon the main purpose of the story or everyone will kill me._

_Q. I know its probly not the direction your going, but could they all end up in the vampire family?_

_A. I'll think of something, but you'll just have to wait until the end of the story...geez, that's far..._

_ will kotaro's big part be in this fic? _

_A. Classified..._

_ Q. When does Negi leave Mahora?_

_A. Next Chapter..._

_Q. Will the dark quartet follow him?_

_A. That might not happen..._

* * *

_**P.S:** Viruses...why?_

_This has been a message by-_

_**Traingham..**_

_**Take care...**_


	4. Time To Say Goodbye

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

_**Chapter Four: And So You've Left Me **_

_By Traingham_

* * *

He watched them all behave the same way they always had since the day he met them, if not just a little calmer since they had matured...most of them anyway. They read along with each other, laughed at the simple jokes they could pull out from the literature, and some of them even got into character with each other. Class 3-A was possibly the most adored senior class of Mahora, and it didn't take much to know that it was because of the energy Negi had been able to breathe into their academic lives. Since the moment he stepped foot in the school it was as if he triggered a pop in the lock that kept all the pandemonium from entering the campus grounds. Suddenly there were love potions, dark knights, demons, and talking rodents. Students started showing different sides of them, love started blossoming, and the occasional moment of sorrow entered the girls lives, however, it was all so wonderful in their own special ways. Though friends may have been lost, and new foes had arisen, the hardships and experiences that had come from the meetings and partings had their rewards. Purposes, bonds, promises, pledges, rivalries, companionships; they were all made possible from a fateful meeting with the enigma that was Negi Springfield. All things were destined to come to an end, however, but watching them in their joy made the young magi wish that it wasn't so in the back of his mind.

_Tonight I set off for, Wales._ Negi thought to himself. If there was anyplace that would set him on track to finding the bonds that were still tied to his father, his hometown would be the natural designation. That and he wanted to drop Nekane and Anya a visit before he allowed himself to get swept up in his journey. As much as he wanted his last class with the girls to be memorable, he found that the more he tried to will himself to regain his usual youthful spark, the more he found himself shying away from it. There was something in the back of his mind warning him not to draw too much attention to himself because something would surely go wrong if he did. His eyes wandered over the main threats to his plans: Ako, Akira, Makie, and Yuna. His odd behavior must have already gotten the attention of their dark egos. Even if he managed to get away, they would attempt to follow him and probably succeed with what they were capable of together.

_Eva-chan must have some sort of way to suppress them. I'm not sure if they'll stay put if I allow them to stay dominant over the girls._ He inwardly reasoned, looking over to Evangeline to find that she was scrutinizing him rather hard. The expression on her face alone was enough to get his pores running with sweat. He was intending to inform her of his leave, but right now that was beginning to feel like a one way ticket to trouble he didn't need. Sure, everything he was doing was for her, but he never took into consideration how she might take his absence. There were a few ideas that were bothering him about how she might react. The most dominant idea pointed to his father. His old man abandoned her seventeen years ago, so how might she take his sudden leave? She wouldn't hold a grudge against him for it...would she?

"...Things are looking grimmer than usual." He mumbled to no one in particular before he allowed his eyes to lie upon the lovely and fearsome, Mana Tatsumiya. She sat in her seat, book open in front of her, but her piercing eyes were not upon the words that filled the pages. No, they were much more focused on him with what he felt was amusement. The subtle smirk that was on her luscious lips only served to point out her mood even further, but what was the root of it all? Was it because of what she knew? Did she take a guilty pleasure in the fact that she would be the only girl from the class that would accompany him when he was gone? Mana was just as much of an enigma as he was. It was very hard to read her, and that made her dangerous.

_And that is where my other problems seem to lie, doesn't it? _Negi turned away from her as casually as he possibly could make himself seem so as not to arouse any suspicion from her. _I can't allow her to come with me. The last thing I need is to have someone else to worry about. Besides...she has her own life to live. She shouldn't preoccupy herself with mine. _Thoughts like that were sure to get him a bullet in the head if she ever got wind of that one. Now, how was he going to be able to escape without her knowledge? Mana had an eagle eye of the entire campus, and from what she told him two nights ago, she was keeping tabs on him almost all the time. How else was she able to keep track of his conversations, and his whereabouts? He potentially had the deadliest stalker on earth.

"Most of my worries simply lie in breaking the news to, master." Negi's eyes spied the clock on the wall behind the girls. It was almost time for him to dismiss them much to his growing relief. Any longer with the girls and he was bound to show a crack on the mask he'd been managing since he started class. He boldly took another glance at Evangeline to find her still staring at him. Now this was just disturbing. In the past she would speak to him telepathically whenever she exhibited such behavior, but she looked to be in some deep concentration. It almost seemed as if she was trying to break him down into his most basic components, if such a thing was possible.

"Is she attempting to read me?" He whispered to himself. All he knew was that he wanted to get this out of the way as quickly and carefully as possible. He would have to find her while she was walking back home, and pull her somewhere private to speak with her that was away from her residence, otherwise she was bound to do something he wouldn't appreciate. Anywhere close to home meant she would be able to tap into her sealed powers from the resort. At least somewhere else would ensure that he would be speaking to a normal girl...who had the combat skills of a class "S" assassin, and psychological warfare tactics at her disposal that would even make Hannibal Lecter grin.

_Why aren't things ever easy with her?_ He was torn away from his inner distress when the bell suddenly rang. All the girls quickly closed their books, and gathered their things, chattering loud enough to drown out any thoughts that Negi's mind was trying to process. His eyes darted quickly to his master to find that she was still staring at him, remaining completely still with Chachamaru doing the same. Their eyes locked for a few seconds before she finally pushed back on her chair and stood up, slipping her hand under the strap of her bag to lift it onto her desk.

Now was the time for him to make his move. He would just wait for her to reach to main courtyard with Chachamaru before he'd pull her to-

"Hm?" Negi looked to the side of his desk to find some of the girls waiting for him expectantly. He stole a glance back at Evangeline to find that Chachamaru had gotten up and followed her to the door before reluctantly pulling his gaze away from her to face the girls again. It was the library trio, Ku-fei, and Ako.

…_Ako…_ The young magi felt a shiver run down his spine. Now this was unusual. The shy rocker would usually be on her way to practice right now. Why would she decide to take a different routine on today of all days. _ And where are the others?_ He wanted to look around for the rest of the Halflings, but doing so would alert Dark Ako. He had best act casual…even if they already suspected him from the looks of how things were progressing.

"Uh, hey girls." He greeted them. "What's the matter?"

Nodoka was the first to speak, stepping way into his personal space, eliciting a startled look from Yue. Negi leaned back as the timid girl leaned forward with both of her hands clasped together. Her hair overshadowed her eyes as usual so it was hard to read her expression. "A-afterschool sessions! Are you going t-to be holding any today?" She stammered as her face gradually took on a red shade.

"I'm having trouble…" Ku-Fei paused for a moment to gather her wits on how to continue. Her Japanese had improved from long before, but she still had some ways to go before she would ever be fluent. "…with last…_the_ last chapter." She cracked a quick grin at her triumph, getting one from her teacher in return. Her happiness was too infectious for Negi to ignore.

"Please tell us you will." Ako added in. To Negi's suspicion, he found nothing unusual about the way she spoke. Usually he would be able to tell if she switched over to her dark ego by the manner she spoke. Was this one of her new tricks?

_The more time I take to answer this, the farther master gets. Better do this qui- _"Sorry girls." Negi answered them, inwardly hating himself for having to turn them down. "You'll just have to get help from some of the others for tonight." He offered them a sincere smile. "I'm sure they can help." His words got the reaction he predicted as their shoulders slumped with looks of disappointed washing over their pretty faces. The lecture wasn't as important as the one who was giving it. That was clear to anyone but Negi.

"Alright…" Yue submitted in a dejected fashion before her eyes lightened up with a bit of life. The others wouldn't be able to see him later, but she still had her reserved time with him at the library later. "So I'll meet up with you later, right?" Her question naturally got various responses from her classmates, however, nothing but disappointment awaited her.

"Not tonight, Yue." Negi answered her, tracing a line along the smooth surface of his desk with a finger. He offered her a mellow smile and said, "Consider this a day off. You really deserve it."

Yue held up her hand quickly to keep him from going any further. "N-no, that's fine! I'm more than willing to help. You know that!"

"Well, it's more like I'll be busy with other things tonight so I won't be able to make it." Negi replied, feeling a bit low for the lies he was telling.

"…That's fine." Yue nodded, fumbling with the strap of her bag. She nodded again much slowly the second time before mouthing a few things to herself and heading off to leave before the rest of the girls. "Tomorrow then." Were her last words to him before she disappeared from the entry way.

"I guess there's nothing left to do around here then." Nodoka mumbled in disappointed as she moved her right hand to grip her left arm timidly. She shifted her weight on her right leg for a moment, opening her mouth to say something but she appeared to have a change of heart, shaking her head and doing her best to smile at him. "I-I'll be going then."

"Me too." Ku-Fei told the young magi before following the timid librarian out the door. That left Haruna and Ako, though Negi's concern lied more with Ako than anyone else. Haruna stroked her chin, studying him intensely before tapping his nose lightly with a cat-like grin.

"I guess we can't force ourselves on you all the time!" The manga artist giggled, shrugging her shoulders. "We'll give ya the day off. No escaping tomorrow though." She finished with a mischievous smirk, leaning over towards him slightly. With that she left him to Ako. The shy rocker made no indication that she was going to leave, however.

…_Should have known…_ Negi thought to himself, watching a familiar smirk cross the innocent girl's face. Almost immediately, he felt a noticeable shift in her aura. The purity that usually radiated from her gradually became tainted. "I'm closing up, you know…" He told her, inwardly hoping that it would persuade her to put their talk on hold just long enough for him to ensure that it would not take place at all.

Ako closed her eyes, holding her arms behind her back, and walked around to his side of the desk. "Not to worry…" Her eyes snapped open to unveil the madness that whirled deep within them. The last time he'd been met with such a gaze was during his late night engagement with Takane so long ago. Her dark side was perhaps the most cunning, and dangerous of them all when compared to Ako and the others. "My business with you is hardly…academic." She feigned a lunge, making Negi flinch backwards and fall into his seat.

Negi tensed in his chair, gripping the armrests tightly. He did his best to make his own gaze as cold as he possibly could, asking, "Then what business do you have with me?"

"It should be obvious considering the nature of our last meeting."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a little less vague with your answers."

"You know exactly what I'm referring to! Don't play coy with me, sensei, because I can make this very difficult for you if I want to." Ako said with a sneer. "I allowed you to slip by before, but I'm afraid that our last impression had no effect on you. Consider what you are leaving behind."

"Leaving? I'm not leaving." Negi assured her.

"To be able to say such things when you know just how much your students care for you…it's sad. You know they would travel to the ends of the Earth if they knew it would reunite them with you." Ako poked Negi's chest. "You know that they would follow you into danger without a second guess, so why the betrayal? Why would you abandon them?"

"I'm not betraying anyone." Negi narrowed his eyes, trying his best to suppress his anger. "Abandon them? That's all nonsense."

"No?" Negi felt cold sweat slip down the side of his face when he hear Akira's soft voice in his ear. He felt her fingers intertwine with his hair, massaging the top of his head softly. "A sweet talker you may be, but you are a terrible liar."

"Deception leads to a loss in trust." Yuna's voice carried across the classroom eerily. Negi looked to the side of his desk to find her sitting on one of the desks, grinning at him impishly. "There will be no lies in this family. We can't afford to lose faith in each other."

"Love blossoms through open hearts." Makie's voice sent chills running down his spine as the sound of the classroom door closing echoed within the room. "You've done nothing but lock yours away from us." Her disturbing smile went unseen by him. _"But we will not be kept out. We refuse to be kept out."_

"We've tried being understanding, but now you're just being unfair." Ako took a seat on his desk, draping her legs over his arms so he wouldn't stand up from his seat. With Akira behind him, Negi found his current situation quite uncompromising. Not only was this keeping him from Evangeline, but this was seriously throwing a wrench into the scenario he had planned for them. It was too early for a confrontation, and from the looks of things, he wasn't going to be able to leave the room without having to use some force. His eyes swiveled from Yuna to Makie. The basketball player never left her seat on the desk, and the gymnast remained at the door. Even if he managed to get Akira and Ako off of him, Yuna would most likely take him down before he could get to the windows.

_And it's pretty obvious that the door isn't an option unless I force Makie-chan away from it. The things is…I don't know how these girls will respond to force or what tricks they might pull._ Negi tensed when Akira ceased her ministrations to his head. She was beginning to reach the end of her patience. _Would they try to engage me in hand to hand combat or will they use other methods? _With how comfortable Dark Ako was around him, he wouldn't put it past her to try and seduce him into submitting to her. Sexual psychological warfare was something the midians were naturally gifted in. They perfected it to an art. He wasn't sure if they would stoop to threaten the well beings of his student's true selves as well.

"Tell me…what do you girls really want?" Negi asked, formulating a means of escape as he did his best to make good of his situation. "You must want something from me if you refuse to leave me alone. This interrogation is a waste of both of our time so get to the point."

"Time with you is time worth spending." Akira told him softly. "So don't assume that we'd prefer this to end quickly. We'll stay all night if we must."

"In fact, it would be more fun that way." Yuna giggled with a libidinous smirk.

"You might find that we're pleasant company." Makie told him with a flirtatious wink.

"Yeah…" Ako said with a wicked smile. "So loosen up, huh?" She placed a hand under his chin and directed his gaze to meet her own. "You're not going anywhere." She leaned forward until he could feel her breath upon his lips. "And if you do decide to go somewhere, we will be sure to follow you."

_Chachazero…_Negi sent a telepathic message to his familiar, getting the puppet to look at him curiously. She had been completely inactive the entire time the confrontation had been progressing since she knew he'd forbidden her to take any action against the dark young women. The fact that he finally decided to get her attention lifted her spirits. Perhaps her master had finally come to his senses.

_Yeah? Are we finally good to go, or am I going to have to sit through some more of this? _Chachazero sounded a bit sore. She just couldn't sit still any longer while these girls took advantage of him. It was just driving her up the wall already!

_Let's give it a shot._

_Alright! Let's do thi-_

Negi saw her tiny hands reach for her blades and he immediately freaked out. _No blades though! I'm prohibiting you from using them!_

_HUH?_ The puppet threw her hands up in disappointment. _Ya' want me to slap them to death or something?_

_Not to death…_ The young magi said sternly.

…_Be glad that I like ya. _The puppet sighed in defeat with a reluctant nod.

Negi turned focused his gaze back on Ako when there was a shift in her expression. The Halfling must have noticed that he was up to something because she suddenly asked, "Just what was that?"

"What was what?" Negi asked innocently.

"Don't play-"

_Now!_ Negi sent the puppet the signal and-

"Eiyaaaa!" Chachazero launched herself at Ako's face and proceeded to slap the living daylights out of the surprised vampire. Negi took a moment to cringe at how wrong it felt for him to order a beating on his own student/ 'girlfriend', but he brushed off the feeling quickly and swiveled the chair he was sitting on with enough force to swing Akira into the flailing Ako.

"Zero!" Negi held out his hand, and his familiar leapt at him. When he caught her, he rushed to the side of the desk just in time to see Yuna charge for him in hopes of tackling him against the wall. "Hup!" Negi charged for her as well before dipping into a slide, allowing her to fly over him.

"Alright!" Chachazero cheered excitedly as her master got back to his feet to rush toward the window, but a glance to the left got sight of Makie, leaping from desk to desk to close the distance between Negi and herself. "Let's get busy!"

"Huh?" Negi whipped his head in the gymnast's direction when he felt her presence.

"Gotcha!" Makie cried out, kicking off a desk to send her flying right at him. Negi jumped up in the air the moment she did, grabbing her by the waist as she passed under him and sent them twirling in mid-air to stop her from crashing through the classroom window. When they both landed on the floor, he pushed her away from him, but she shot forth her hand and gripped his tightly.

"Not getting away." She cooed almost viciously.

"Good work!" Negi heard Dark Ako praise her dark sister. "Get him from behind, Akira!"

"Got it!" Akira replied, kicking the desks aside before ordering, "Yuna, get the left!"

"On it!" Yuna nodded, running along the wall.

"Any ideas?" Chachazero asked, pulling on Negi's hair to get his attention.

"One." Negi answered her, puling Makie against him.

"W-what're ya doin'?" The vampiress cried out in surprise when she felt him grab her other hand. She received no answer from him, only to find herself being twirled and grabbed by the waist before being swung into the air by him. Her foot smacked Akira away before she could grab Negi, sending the dark young woman skidding backwards from the impact.

_D-Dancing?_ Ako thought, quirking an eyebrow. _What the hell?_

"Don't play with us!" Yuna growled in irritation, sending a kick at the young magi's back, but he bent forward, dipping Makie as he did to duck under the kick and turned Makie so that her back was to him before grabbing her along the waist with one hand while gripping her left with the other to swing her over his left shoulder, and have her deliver a kick to Yuna's face before setting her back on her feet.

"Classy." The puppet complimented him.

"Thank you." Negi grinned, pulling twirling Makie to him until she was tucked at his side. The dark young woman was practically blushing. She was so caught up in the excitement of their graceful movements that she found herself enjoying it.

"Makie!" the gymnast snapped out of her stupor when she heard Ako scold her name. "Snap out of it, and hold him down!"

"Um, s-sorry!" She apologized, however, before she could make good on her part, Negi sent her twirling back away from him and snatched his hand out of her grasp to send her crashing into Ako. When both girls had become a tangled mass of arms and legs on the floor, the young magi saw his chance for escape and opened the window to jump out and pump his legs for all they were worth.

"Urgh!" Ako growled furiously, shoving the unconscious Makie off of her. "He got away!"

"…He's quite…formidable." Akira groaned, holding the side that Makie's foot collided with.

"…Next time…" Yuna muttered, rubbing her nose with tears in her eyes.

"We'll get him…he'll have no choice but to take us or stay with us!"

* * *

_**Turning to "Her Deep Darkness"…**_

* * *

Chachamaru walked silently beside her mistress, studying her expression to try and understand her mood. While she may have been concerned about her sensei and his odd behavior in the classroom, Evangeline was someone who controlled most of the factors that deal t with the young magi due to their complex relationship. For some reason, she knew that if she understood what was troubling the mistress, Negi's problems would become much clearer to her. There had to be some reason for her ominous mood.

"What're you so focused on?" Evangeline's voice made the gynoid look away from her slowly.

"I apologize for staring, mistress." Chachamaru apologized with a slight bow as she continued to walk by Evangeline's side. "I merely wished to understand the cause for your dark mood." She

stopped for a moment to consider whether her next words would be appropriate. "Perhaps it has some sort of relation to, Negi-kun?"

"And your business in it would be…" The chibi-vampire trailed off, clearly leaving it rhetorical.

Chachamaru remained silent after hearing her response, clutching her skirt with a frown. She glanced at the vampires, digging up what courage she had and said, "I am worried about, Negi-kun."

_Evangeline stopped in her tracks…_

"Well…" Evangeline turned around to face her servant and crossed her arms with a sinister smirk. "I suspected it before, but now you've made it clear. You-" She gestured to her with one hand before folding her arms again, "Are in love with that boy, aren't you?"

"…Mistress." Chachamaru felt as if she should have been on her knees, begging for forgiveness. "I…never intended…"

Evangeline held up a hand to silence her, the grin on her face dropping. "Hm…I should be punishing you for something like this…I really should." Chachamaru tensed as her mistress began to walk circles around her. Her platinum hair seems to be reaching for as it swayed past her arms and legs like binding serpents. She stopped. "But I won't."

"Mistress?" The gynoid spoke her name in a confused tone.

"Because it really is none of my business." Evangeline said in a calm voice. "You see, whatever these so called _'feelings'_ are; they're yours, not mine. I only ask that you keep them to yourself. Don't get your affection for the boy mixed up in my business…is that understood?"

"Y-yes…mistress." Chachamaru nodded, feeling a chill if such a thing was possible.

"This conversation is over." With that Evangeline walked on as if nothing happened. Chachamaru wisely did the same, feeling a sense of relief as she did before her ears picked up quick paced footsteps behind her. She turned her head just in time to see Negi rush up to them and come to a skidding halt beside the vampiress. Evangeline, to say the least, looked surprised to suddenly find her fledgling standing beside her, although the look dropped from her face as quickly as it had appeared.

"Eva!" Negi gasped out her name, hunching over slightly to gather his breath and wits. "I-I've been looking for you!"

"Hm?" Evangeline quirked an eyebrow curiously at his words. "Looking for me? I just left you class a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, I know." Negi nodded quickly. "But I need to talk with you."

"...Another talk, eh?" The chibi-vampire grumbled, placing a hand on her hip. She studied him for a moment, trying to find out just why he was so desperate to speak with her, however, the young magi's mind was in such a jumble that it was difficult to make out any sensible thoughts. This was an opportunity though. Now she would be able to get some answers out of him. "Well, I suppose I might as well. It would be a shame to turn you down, seeing as how you made such an effort to meet with me." She flinched when he grabbed her hand without warning.

"What are you doing?" She asked, perturbed by his action.

"I, uh, wanna go somewhere private." Negi lied for the sake of his own life. He hefted the girl into his arms, getting an unexpected squeak from her and turned to Chachamaru with a grin. "I'll see you later, Chacha-chan."

"Um...very well." The gynoid replied, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"HEY!" Evangeline cried out in distress. _"WHAT THE HE-YAAAAAaaaaaaaa..."_ Chachamaru watched as Negi took off into the sky, taking the chibi-vampire with him as she cried out the entire way up. God have mercy on his soul...

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

Evangeline sat on one of the many benches that lined the inner circular rail of the structure that was built around the world tree. It was the same place that she and Negi made their first true connection as master and disciple. She held no sentimental value for it, but she was sure that Negi bringing her here was no coincidence, and for some reason that she could not explain, her stomach was doing flips. Right now she should have been beyond annoyed that he had just snatched her up from the ground without her permission and brought her here against her will, but all of that was gone, replaced with an anxiety that had not plagued her for as long as she could remember. Only one other person could stir such feelings within her, and their connection to the young man that was pacing before her was frightening. She could only hope that what she was feeling would not lead to a similar conclusion.

"You gonna pace all day?" Evangeline finally decided to voice her irritation. "Look, there is a good reason for bringing me here right? I mean, if you just wanted to spend more time together, we could have just gone back to my house," The dark girl clenched her tiny hands into tight fists, "So what the hell is the meaning of all this?"

Negi stopped his pacing to regard her nervously, and took a deep breath before asking her, "Do you trust me, master?"

"Well, what is this? Why are you suddenly going so formal with me?" Evangeline asked, resting her chin on a closed fist.

"C-Could you please just answer me?"

"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow suspiciously before her expression darkened somewhat. "Yeah...I trust you. Why would you want to know that?"

"Because I'm going to need your trust for what I'm planning to do." Negi replied, placing two shaky hands on his hips in hopes that she would not pay any mind to them, however, his predicament was quite clear to her. He caught the shift in her expression and did his best to seem casual, asking, "Um, what's with the look?"

"Tell me why you're so nervous."

"I-I'm talking to you." Negi answered her, truthfully. "When don't I g-get nervous?" His answer got a frown from her, but to his relief, she accepted his cop out.

"You didn't have to be so honest about it, idiot." Evangeline huffed, but her annoyance was stolen away from her when Negi gathered the nerve to close the distance between them and get down on one knee. From afar it would have looked like a knight pledging himself to his queen. The way he gently grabbed both of her hands and placed his forehead against them made the dark mistress fall victim to a creeping blush. This entire scene was just unreal to her. "Negi..." She called his name, but he apparently did not hear her. "Hey, Negi!"

"Hwa?" Negi looked up at her, snapped out of his stupor.

"Why are you suddenly doing all this?" For once she actually had a worried look on her face. "You're beginning to disturb me."

"...I'm leaving Mahora, Evangeline." Negi answered her, looking into her eyes as intensely as he possibly could in order to get his point across to her. For a long time they just remained in their positions; Negi kneeling to her as she silently stared down at him from her seat on the bench until he felt her slip his hands out of his. The look on her face was something he'd never seen before. It wasn't sadness or anger, no, it was something he would relate to fear. Did his words scare her? He didn't think that there was anything that could possible frighten the feared,_ 'Dark Evangel', _but right now he saw a girl that was beyond disturbed. "...Eva...are you alright?"

"You..." Evangeline eyes narrowed until they were dark slits. "This is how you reward me for all I've done for you?" Her voice almost seemed to grow louder with every word she spoke. She rose up from her seat on the bench and planted a foot on his chest before giving him a vicious shove that managed to send him on his back despite her inability to tap into her awesome powers. Even without her fearsome abilities, Negi felt a deep fear lance at his heart as she planted the same foot she used to knock him on his back, on his chest again. She looked down on him with a feral scowl that made his blood run cold. "I can't believe that I fell for your act." The vampiress's voice had lost the strength it had before. "I thought for sure that I could trust you, and your promises, but it turns out that the apple doesn't fall so far from the tree, does it? No, you're just like your-" Her eyes exploded with a suppressed fury that he'd never detected before in his entire time knowing her. It was then that he realized how much his father's betrayal had truly wounded her. He had just stepped into the devil's den, and the only thing that he could depend on to save him was his wits. "-Father."

"Eva-chan-"

"No! Don't call me that!" She snarled at him before she leaned down, pressing her foot against his chest even harder than before. "Don't you even dare call me your master! I don't want some deceiver for a disciple! I've gone through my entire life trying to escape from them!" She straightened up again, looking around at the plaza and let out a demented chuckle. "I see what you were attempting to do. You brought me here so there would be no chance of me accessing my sealed powers. That would make it so much easier to break the news to me, right?"

"I did it because...urgh." Negi groaned at the pressure she placed upon him with her foot. "...I knew you would jump to conclusions!"

"Is that so, little man?" She asked with a cruel smirk. He saw her pull out two sealed lab vials from her vest pocket, and his eyes widened with horror. "You haven't seen me jump to conclusions yet. Oh, no..." An evil smile crossed her lips when she saw his reaction to the vials. "Yeah, surprise. I keep them around just in case I need them. You should at least know that much since we dueled together in the past under similar circumstances. You didn't think I would just leave myself powerless, did you?"

"N-Now, Eva-chan...don't do something you'd regret later." Negi's voice wavered.

"Regret..." Her hands trembled, but she managed to get them under control as she retorted, "Never felt it."

"Listen!" Evangeline found herself falling to the floor when Negi grabbed a hold of her ankle and swept her off her feet. She expected to hit her head on the concrete, but his hand kept her from getting hurt. She opened her eyes when he allowed her head to rest on the floor to find the young magi hovering over her with both hands at her sides, keeping her from getting away from him. Had anyone been watching them, the scene would have just looked plain wrong.

"Get away from me." She seethed, turning her head to the side to look away from his face.

"I won't until you understand me."

"I've heard everything I needed to. Don't try to justify your decision."

"Evangeline...do you know what I've been devoting myself to for the past two years?"

"...What?" She asked, finally deciding to give him his chance.

"After realizing how vulnerable you were when Dorothy came, I wanted to free you from your curse as quickly as I possibly could. Had the power of the world tree been sealed the night we ended Chao's schemes, she surely would have managed to kill you without your full power. We might not be so lucky next time. If she could find you then who says that it can't happen again? I've been going to the library every night, reading and researching...and I still haven't found anything at all. Not one clue...nothing."

"Negi..."

"So how much longer must I place my efforts in such a false hope?" Negi asked, the frustration clear in his voice. "Until it's too late? Until I find you dead in your own home? I mean, who knows if it will stop there? If these mistresses are as evil as you say they are, then they might come after everyone else as well."

"After you, anyway." Evangeline mumbled in an attempt to humor herself.

"My point is, there is no other way of releasing you unless I search for the spell to break the curse myself, and to do this...I must leave Mahora. There is no other way."

Negi gently caressed the side of her cheek with one hand, and slowly tilted her head so she would face him again. He honestly expected her to snap at him for touching her, but she stayed calm and looked up at him with a dispassionate expression. She was really trying to make it seem as if she wasn't really affected by this, but what just happened moments ago was all the young magi needed to see in order to understand her position about this although it made him wonder if her insecurities were place more upon him leaving her and never coming back because of deception or ill fortune on his part.

"Evangeline, we've had this talk before, and I'm not one to back out on the promises I make to others. I promise that I'll free you from this curse, and there isn't anything that others say about you that will keep me from doing so because I know the type of woman my master is." He grinned to try and lighten the tension he was feeling between them. "Sure, she still has some **_really_** bad habits that I'd appreciate less of, but she has a good heart, even if she constantly tries to mask it with ill will most of the time."

"You talk too much." The vampiress managed a chuckle. "That's one thing you and your father don't have in common."

"I'm trying to step out of his shadow." Negi said, heaving a sigh.

"_You will."_

"So...are you really okay with this?" He asked her hesitantly.

"Hard to say..." Evangeline trailed off. "...I trust you...but that alone won't be enough to get you through what lies ahead. You honestly don't believe that you'll be able to travel so far and wide without attracting any attention, do you?"

"You mean, other mages?"

"No, idiot." She frowned at him. "Other vampires. You'd be surprised how easily it is to find them when you're on of them."

"...Meaning?"

"Dark Lords, and Mistresses are of no exception to the rule." Evangeline narrowed her eyes. "Especially when you carry the scent of my blood in your veins. No one will miss that if they're able to get close enough, and believe me, they have ways of getting close enough...especially mistresses." She stared up at him in silence for a while before crossing her arms and saying, "Well, not that I mind our position, but there are other secluded places that this can be done."

"O-Oh!" Negi got back to his feet quickly, offering her a helping hand, which she accepted. "I got caught up in the moment."

"I don't blame you." Evangeline replied, placing her vials back in her pocket. "...So...yeah..."

"Hm?" Negi raised an eyebrow at the timid appearance she had suddenly taken on, bowing her head sightly with her hands held behind her back. "What's wrong?"

Evangeline looked up at him with a sweat-drop._ Did he seriously just forget what I'd just done to him? How thick is this guy's skull anyway?_ "...About the...uh..." She slipped a vial out of her pocket halfway so he could get a good look at it. "...You know..."

"Oh, yeah...that." He nodded, scratching the back of his head awkwardly before perking up and saying, "But I knew you weren't going to hurt me with those!"

"Huh?"

"I was looking at your hand the entire time, and you could barely keep it from trembling."

"Is that so?" She regarded him with a blank expression the entire time he spoke. "Heh, lucky for you then, huh?"

"See, you care about me."

"W-Whatever."

_They both forced stiff laughs..._

_Negi looks to her with a sheepish grin..._

"...You seriously weren't going to kill me...right?"

"Kill you?" Evangeline asked innocently. "Nah. That'd be a waste of perfectly good catalysts."

"...Kay." Negi accepted her response without thinking too much about it.

"So, are we done?" Chachazero called over to them from the ledge of the fountain. "It was getting kind of tense, ya know?"

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**Setting eyes upon the Dorm showering chamber...**_

* * *

"Hey, ya mind handing me the soap?" Asuna asked Konoka, dipping a basin of warm water over herself to keep from getting shivers. Since all of the other girls from class happened to decide that they wanted to get cleaned at the same time, the limited bar of soaps were beginning to feel scarce so some girls were getting a bit stingy with them. In actuality not everyone had come to the chamber. Ako, Yuna, Akira, and Makie were nowhere to be seen since the end of last period classes. These days they had a tendency to keep to their own private agendas rather than join the others. Kaede, and Ku-Fei were out attending to their own matters as well, however, surprisingly enough, Mana and Setsuna had opted to bathe instead of returning to the shrine where they usually meditated. So while Setsuna had her hands full with the being of boundless energy that was Konoka Konoe, Mana sat near the corner of the chamber, relaxing in one of the spa tubs. Naturally, no one made an attempt to disturb her in her moment of solace.

"Sorry bout' that!" Konoka apologized, handing the red-head the bar of soap, which was a mere shadow of what it once was.

"Gee...thanks." Asuna thanked her in a sarcastic tone, holding the small pebble between her thumb and index finger. She looked to the crow demon the sat beside the bubbly young woman, covered in suds and bowed her head in defeat. "Guess I'll have to make due with this much." She mumbled, turning her back on her friend before getting to work on herself.

"Scrubba-dub!" Asuna heard Konoka squeal childishly before Setsuna blubbered in distress.

_"O-Ojou-sama! S-Stop that!"_

_H-Hold-still!"_

_"N-Not there!"_

_"Relaaax, I know what I'm doing!"_

_"I know my body better than you do!"_

"...I just don't know sometimes." Asuna grumbled.

"So-" Konoka started off, out of the blue, easing off of the scarlet swordsman. "Did anyone else notice how weird Negi-chan was behaving in class this afternoon? He kind of gave off this sad look whenever he smiled at someone."

"Very astute observation, ojou-sama." Setsuna concurred, fixing her hair. "There was a melancholic mood about him." _I'd best act as oblivious to the true nature of the situation or I'll draw unwanted attention from the others. _"Perhaps something is troubling him."

"He's been pretty hard to track lately." Kazumi commented, grabbing a shampoo bottle from Sayo's outstretched arms. "Thanks." She whispered to her ghastly partner before going on, "So I don't have any updates on our, teach."

"Yep. He must have really caught on to our search patterns." Sayo added, waving her tiny, doll arms.

_You guys act like it's really your business._ Asuna inwardly quipped, rolling her eyes.

"Well..." Haruna sang melodically as she turned upon Yue with accusing eyes. "Maybe Yue-chan knows what's up!" The well endowed librarian had to crush the habit of pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose since she currently had them put away as she smirked at the short librarian deviously. "He did turn down your usual meet at the library, didn't he?"

"Hey, you're right." Misa suddenly perked up. "He's usually with her most of the time."

"Yeah. She should know better than anybody." Natsumi agreed with the manga artist's reasoning.

"...That's...true." Nodoka nodded, feeling as if she'd been delivered a punch to the stomach at the revelation.

_...Did they fail to notice Tatsumiya-san?_ Zazie wondered to herself, looking to the relaxing marksman as she simply remained in the spa tub without a word. The conversation didn't seem to concern her at all. Of course, the girl said nothing of her for obvious reasons. To put things simply, she intimidated them and they honestly just didn't want to disturb her. What she did with the young magi was her business...even if they didn't approve of it.

"I wouldn't know." Yue stated coldly, clearly irritated by how the girls treated their _'relationship'. _"He didn't come to the library last night either, so I haven't the faintest idea what might be bothering him. He was just fine the day before that...well, better than he is now."

"Well, so much for a good informant." Kazumi laughed much to the other girl's dismay.

"Actually, maybe Ako and the others might know." Hakase suggested, drying herself with a towel. "I kinda noticed that they have been meeting with sensei lately."

_**"For real?"**_

_**"Hm."**_

_**"Heh. Yuna did say she found him pretty handsome."**_

_**"You don't say..."**_

_**"Akira? Wow, girl got game, huh?"**_

_**"Well, Makie clearly has it hard for him."**_

"But Ako?" Haruna questioned, scratching her chin. "Wow, I thought she was dating his cousin." The librarian completely froze for a moment, unblinking, before a flame burned in her eye passionately. "Hoo,hoo!" She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Man, that's awesome! She's a lucky girl."

"Ah-heh...maybe you're looking a little too much into it, huh?" Asuna tried to calm the artist down, but the young women was already too lost in her fantasies to listen to reason.

"Sometimes they even go together." Hakase volunteered more information.

"T-T-TOGETHER?" Haruna cried out, raising her arms up to the ceiling. "Gawd, that's hot! I'm inspired to draw!"

"Clearly, that would not be the case." Setsuna tried to calm the girl down before she would spontaneously combust.

_"Hnh, hnh."_ A deep, smooth chuckle got the girl's attention. They all stole a glance in the direction that it had come from to find that Mana had finally opened her eyes, looking at them with an amused smirk. All of the girls with the exception of Asuna, who had turned away to mind her own business, kept their eyes on the lovely marksman without making the slightest twitch as though she would pounce on them at the faintest detection of fear. Setsuna had her eyes on her intensely as she stood up from the tub and slipped a towel off the awaiting bar to dry herself before taking her leave of them. Something about her reaction to their conversation struck an nerve in the swordsman.

_Does the captain...know? Something tells me that Negi must have told her something...but if that's the case, then why doesn't she seem bothered by his decision? _Setsuna quickly filled her basin and rinsed herself off before standing up from the small bench she was seated on, getting the attention of the girls around her. Konoka quirked a brow at her friend's sudden movement. _What did he tell her? What is she hiding?_ Intent on finding out the answers directly, Setsuna retrieved a towel and dried herself off as she headed out the door that Mana had taken. Her sudden hunger for the truth would lead her to shock.

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

"A favor?" Evangeline echoed his last words with a look of disbelief on her face. Her expression immediately shifted to that of agitation when her disciple nodded to her without the slightest bit of hesitation. "You do understand that you just hit me with the most unexpected news a few minutes ago, right? There was no warning or anything...and now, despite the fact that I'm still trying to digest how a young vampire like yourself is going to take on the world, because you do realize that is what you're up against as soon as you step foot out of here, right?" The vampiress gave him a cynical look, her hands on her hips.

"Y-Yes." Negi nodded, more to give her a response than anything else.

"No matter where you go now, you are practically waving my flag everywhere you go. As much as it dreads me to say it, you're representing me. Maybe, just maybe, someone will see you as Nagi's boy, but as soon as they realize what kind of blood is running through your veins, they'll just see a dark wizard and nothing else." Evangeline took a moment to run a hand down her face in frustration. "Now, even as I'm trying my best not to chain you down somewhere in my resort until you come to your damn senses, you're asking me to do you a favor?"

"Please, Eva-chan!" Negi pleaded her. "I need you to do something really important for me. If it doesn't get done then I've got the worst feeling that it won't leave me alone while I'm gone...in a literal sense." The way he explained himself caught the chibi-vampire's interest, making her raise an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Hm. What are you referring to?"

"I've told you about Ako and the other's recent behavior." Negi told her, not as a question but as a statement.

"Yeah. You whine about all the time." Evangeline said with a chuckle.

"Well, now they've gotten much more aggressive, and I think they're more than attached." Negi explained grimly. "I don't even understand their motives anymore. At first I thought they were just trying to tease and torment me, but now I'm not sure." _Mostly with Akira's dark side. I'm not sure if she's trying to hurt me or seduce me whenever she decides to drop me a visit._ "The thing is, they're really pushing it now, and they already suspect that I'm leaving."

"So they're planning on following you wherever you go, correct?" Evangeline went ahead of him.

"...Uh, yeah...how did you know?" Negi blinked.

"Didn't take much to come to that conclusion." Evangeline answered him with a sigh. "Sure, I'll seal them away again. I don't know how you broke the seal over them, but chances are, you're better off staying away from them after I'm done or it'll all be for nothing. Have you said your good-bye's to them?"

"I didn't plan to, but in a way...yes." Negi replied, somewhat unsure of his own answer.

"Yeah...whatever. The only problem here is, you're gonna have to lure them to me."

"Huh? But why?"

"Two reasons; If they see me with you, they'll know what's going on, and you're going to have to bring them out at full force for the effects of the seal to work properly."

"Meaning?" Negi did not like the sound of that at all.

"You're going to have to play a little cat and mouse." Evangeline explained for him as simply as she could. "It's either that or you arouse it out of them, but I don't think you're willing to do that because it involves some body contact. Now, if you force them to run after you, you'll push them and force them to tap into their abilities. In order for them to do that, they cannot lie partially dormant. They have to take complete control."

"So you want me to have them chase me here?"

"Pretty much." Evangeline nodded, the sarcasm dripping in her voice. "Everything that you really need in life does not come easy. I know that more than anyone."

"...That's going to be kind of hard."

"I'm sure it will."

"That's four against one."

"If you want it to be done then you'll do it."

"It'll draw too much attention."

Evangeline smirked at him. "Not at the speed you'll all be going."

* * *

_**Those marathon runs on the Olympics were tough...**_

* * *

"Whew, I'm getting shivers!" Chachazero cried out delightedly from the top of her master's head. "This is going to be so awesome!"

"Maybe for you, Zero-chan." Negi mumbled. "You realize that I'm going to have to somehow get them together..." Negi brought both of his hands together to emphasize his words, "-and hope that they'll take me as the bait. Assuming that they do just run after me, I don't know how I'm going to hold them off until I reach the plaza."

_**Remember, these girls are much more cunning than you think.**_ The young magi began to recall his master's words to him. _**Walk around as though you have a purpose. If you look completely blank, they'll immediately suspect you.**_

"I'm going to have to speak with Takamichi about this anyway." Negi thought aloud. "I suppose that keeping that in mind will make the feeling so much more natural." He saw the building his homeroom was in come into view and he began to feel a little queasy. This was going to be much more harder to face than he originally believed. To make matters even more complicated-

"Hey, Negi." The young magi cringed when he heard the familiar voice. He looked to his left to find Takamichi standing beside one of the lamp poles that lined the main walkway to the building. He pulled the cigarette he had away from his mouth and let out a sliver of smoke before offering him his usual mellow smirk. He allowed his white hair to grow a little longer for reasons the young magi didn't care to inquire about, and his white jacket that students had come to associate with him looked pristine as usual. "Imagine my surprise in finding you here."

"I, uh, left something in my class." Negi lied.

"Mind if I tag alone? I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Um, actually...could that wait until later?"

"But it's on the way." Takamichi tried to persuade him. "I'm going to be heading to a meeting soon so I'd just like to get it out of the way."

Negi looked hesitant, but he submitted, saying, "Fine."

"I'm sorry. Are you in a hurry?" The elder mage asked, sounding a little hurt by the young man's unexpected attitude. "Maybe this could wait."

"No, no, no!" Negi held out his hands to keep him from getting the wrong idea. "A-Actually, there's something I'd like to tell you too."

"Really?" The man scratched the top of his head quizzically. "Then you go ahead first."

"Nah, you first." Negi told him before he felt a chill run down his spine. To the elder teacher's curiosity, the young magi looked to the side, toward the school building and his shoulders went completely rigid. _Th-they're actually still around here?_ Negi thought in fright, examining the main hall windows to find Makie staring back at him. She looked over her shoulder, most likely alerting the others, and seconds later the rest of the dark quartet joined her by the window. He wasn't sure if the smiles on their faces were silent warnings of vengeance from what happened between them earlier or if they were genuinely glad to see him again. Either way, they were after him.

**_Reeek..._**

"Oh, they must be waiting for you." Takamichi said when the double doors to the building opened for them to come out. The girls took a seat on the stair steps and simply stared at the two of them. "You know what, I'll call you later. What time will you be back at the dorm room?"

"I'll call you from Evangeline's house." Negi told his fellow teacher to put his worries to rest.

"Heh, it's amazing how comfortable you two are with each other." The elder mage laughed. "Nagi probably would have never seen this coming."

"Tell me about it..."

"Alright then." Takamichi said with a nod before heading for the building. "Talk to you later then."

"Take care." Negi bide him farewell with a wave. He watched as Takamichi ascended the stair steps to the doors, giving the girls a wave, and entered the building. When the halflings were sure that the white clad teacher was out of sight, they all stood up from the stair steps together and walked down the walkway to meet with him. Surprisingly they didn't rush him then and there. Instead they kept a respectful distance from him and stared him down in a scene that looked like an old western.

_**If they don't decide to simply come after you, then they're testing to see if you have something up your sleeve. Breaking off into a run too early will make you seem suspicious and stupid. Entertain them a bit with a talk. If you see an opening for a little tease, then do it. We like to call halflings 'imps'. They love to make mischief, and they're quite playful due to their rebellious spirits. Give them something to bite at.**_

_Something to bite at, huh?_ Negi's eye twitched. _I hope she wasn't literal about that._ His eyes swiveled to Dark Akira for a moment to study her expression. It was anything but playful. She resembled a samurai, ready to rush in for the fatal blow. Makie gave off something far more true to Evangeline's 'halfling' study than any of the other three girls, but that was to be expected since she always behaved that way anyway.

"What luck." Ako giggled, holding her hands behind her head in a lazy manner. "You saved us the trouble of looking for you ourselves. Takahata-sensei turned out to be pretty helpful."

"Indeed." Akira agreed, darkly.

_They think I came to see Takamichi? That turned out better than it seemed._ The young magi inwardly grinned. "You girls just don't know when to give up, do you?" Negi asked them, placing his hands on his hips with a shake of his head. "Why are you girls so bent on keeping me here?"

"We can't lose you, Negi-chan." Makie answered him with a hint of genuine concern in her voice. It disturbed him to find something other than usual mischief in one of them. It told him that they had the capacity to be more unpredictable than they already were. That enough was something to fear. "We care too much to see you go."

"This is new..." Negi heard his familiar chuckle. "Be careful master, deception is one of their strong points. Remember that."

"Yeah...I know."

"What must we do in order for you to understand our feelings for you?" Akira asked, holding her hand out to him. "If you cannot consider our feelings, then consider those of the girls you've spent your time with since you came to Mahora."

"Even we've been with you that long if you stop to think about it." Yuna remarked. "It wasn't that long after you had begun teaching that our dear Mistress McDowell had awakened us for our first engagement with you. Are we really such strangers?" She cocked her head to the side with a brilliant smile that almost entranced the young magi, but he shook off the feeling before she could ensnare him with her dark charms. "We're close enough to be lovers."

"And wouldn't it be nice?" Ako asked, taking a few steps towards him, but she wisely came to a halt when he showed signs of awareness. "C'mon, just think of it." She held her arms out to him in an inviting gesture. "All of us together! It would be fun!"

"This is creepy." The sadistic puppet whispered to him.

"It's like a whole new method of persuasion. How could anyone trust it?" Negi whispered back.

"This could be an opening though."

"You're right." Negi nodded with her reasoning. _Let's see where this takes me. _"So you girls want to come with me on my search?"

"Ha! We knew it!" Yuna cried out triumphantly. "You admit to leaving!"

"Yeah...I'm leaving." Negi smirked, feeling so wrong for doing it, but if it was a tease they wanted, then he was going to do his best to give it to them. "It wouldn't be fair to the other girls if I just brought you four with me. I don't like playing favorites, you know."

"F-Favorites?" Makie's eyes lightened up with life.

"Well, yeah." Negi scratched his cheek sheepishly, keeping a grin on his face that would make Kotaro proud. "I can't deny that you're pretty cute, Makie-chan. It's just, it's so hard to be open about my feelings when there are others..." Negi played it off as though he had to stop himself from going any further with his words.

"O-others?" Yuna blushed.

"Yuna-chan, I've always found athletic girls to be very attractive. The way you carry yourself is so strong, it gives off a sense of independence." Negi winked at her before turning to Akira, who to his surprise, had already been blushing up to her ears. The look on her face made it seem like she wanted to melt. "Akira...your beauty comes so naturally. I find myself wondering if you wake up looking the way you do when you come to class everyday. Perhaps one day I'll be able to find out."

"H-How could you..." The cold young woman placed her hands on her cheeks bashfully. "...say those things? I-It's embarrassing."

"And Ako-chan." Negi turned to her, getting a pleased smirk from her. "I fear that I might lose myself to your charms one day. I do my best to keep my distance, however, if you continue to persist in your ways I may have to surrender myself to you."

"N-Nagi-chan...what is this sudden change?" The dark young woman found herself glowing.

"But-" That one word brought all of them out of their dazes. "-like I said, it wouldn't be fair towards the others."

"Hey-"

"I suppose I could give you girls a chance though."

"What do you mean?" Makie asked, standing on the balls of her feet.

"If just one of you girls can catch me then I'll take you all with me." Negi challenged them. "I'll give you all until you get tired. It'll be fun, right?"

"Heh, what is this?" Yuna laughed, crossing her arms. "You think we're kids?"

"I'm game." Makie accepted quickly.

"You would be." Ako teased her dark sister.

"You're not?" Akira asked Ako, catching her off guard.

"Excuse me?" Ako narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Don't tell me that _you're_ going to do this."

"I think this might be worth trying." Akira answered her.

"Oh, why not!" Yuna grinned as she cracked her knuckles. "He says we can try until we get tired."

_The four of them laughed..._

"Tired? Ha!" Makie taunted the young magi. "You're in for a ride!"

"We'll do this all day if we have to!" Ako declared. "So go ahead. When do we begin?"

_Oh man...oh man..._ Negi felt his heart begin to pump faster. _Maybe I shouldn't have made the conditions so difficult on myself, but I doubt they would have been tempted to join otherwise. _The young magi flexed his fingers and tapped the tip of his toes on the floor a few times. _I just have to lead them to the World Tree plaza without getting caught. Evangeline will take it from there when she sees them. _He licked his lips and looked over his shoulder. _Alright...let's do this._

Negi got ready to turn on his heel, scraping his left foot back. "...NOW!" Negi gave the signal, turning around and breaking off into a run, however, he didn't go full speed. _**The trick to playing this game is to have them underestimate you. If you feel that they can do better, then gradually pick up your pace. Allow yourself to seem open for an advance to build their egos. Eventually they'll believe that they have a very good chance at catching you. When that happens, they will be completely under your rules.**_ Negi dashed down the walkway, looking for an obstacle to catch them off guard and spotted a gauntlet of benches.

"That might do." He said to himself before he caught sight of one of them on his right. "Hm?"

"What's wrong, Negi-chan?" Yuna asked, running beside him fluidly. "You're making this too easy!" She clawed out to grab him, but he leaned away with a jerk and increased his speed to put some distance between them. He swung his arms faster, allowing him to pick his run up a notch and reached the benches. He hopped on the back rests, keeping his balance and looked over his shoulder to see Akira catching up to him.

"Let's see how you handle this." He dived for the next bench, reaching out for the edge of the back supporter, and used his momentum to swing himself under the bench with a slide. The four girls, never expecting him to pull off something so ridiculous, continued running in the direction he was sprinting before he pulled off the stunt, and attempted to stop in their tracks; Ako and Makie, trampling over a bench by mistake and ending up on the ground, while Yuna held one hand out to grip an oncoming light pole and used the other to grab a hold of Akira's outstretched hand. The speed they picked up on their dash sent the both of them swinging the opposite way with a one-eighty before Yuna let go of the pole to send both her and Akira flying back in Negi's direction.

"Nice one!" Yuna called out to him.

"It would seem that this will be more interesting than we had expected." Akira joined in her call. "But you shall not shake free from us!"

"These girls are determined." Chachazero commented, gripping her master's hair as tightly as she could.

"I'm not exactly trying to lose them." Negi told her. "I just need to make it look like I am."

"I know." The puppet nodded before pointing to the upcoming wall of an athletic facility. "Hey, run along that wall!"

"If you say so!" Negi complied. When he was within reach, he scraped the side of his foot against the wall to gain some footing and started his wall climb. The two girls did the same, but Akira kept on picking up her climb rather than maintaining her footing, and gripped the ledge of the building with one hand before swinging herself on to the roof. Negi looked over his shoulder to see Yuna right on his tail before returning his attention to what was ahead of him to find Akira coming down upon him from the other side.

_Damn, she's quick!_ He kicked off from the wall before she could get her hands on him, and snickered to himself when he heard her collide with Yuna.

"You're having fun with this!" Chachazero chirped as he got back to solid ground.

"I'll admit that I am!" Negi replied with a grin.

"Gotcha!" He whipped his head to his left when he heard Makie cry out to him. The gymnast picked up speed and dived at his legs, but before he jumped, he made a quick glance at his left to find Ako jumping toward him with her arms spread open to crash into his chest. He opted to dive between them, feeling them pass over and under him before he tucked his familiar in his arms and hit the ground with a roll. When he managed to get back to his feet, he tucked her into his shirt and continued his dash.

"We'll get you!" Ako screamed, sounding frustrated.

"Just keep running!" Makie cried out. "We're never going to get tired!" The gymnast bushed herself off after getting off the ground, and offered her sister a hand.

"Thanks." Ako breathed out. She looked to Negi's fleeting form before turning back to Makie to find Akira, and Yuna standing behind her with agitated expressions on their lovely faces along with some dirt and blades of grass. "We're going to have to work together a little more if we intend to catch him. He's heading to the busy wing of the campus grounds so he'll try and blend with the crowd. I know he will."

"Fine." Yuna nodded.

"We'll corner him at the World Tree plaza." Ako informed them. "Try to force his hand there. When he's at the plaza, he'll be an open target for us."

"Very well." Akira complied.

"Then scatter!" With that all four of them became blurs.

"I think we lost them." Negi panted to Chachazero, looking over his shoulder. "That isn't good."

"Well, all of these people aren't exactly making it easy for them to find us." The puppet informed him, gesturing to the students walking around them. It looked like a flee market whenever they came near the busy streets of Mahora campus. It was the hot spot where most students came to hang out or visit the stores they had set up.

"Then we'll take higher ground." Negi suggested, looking up at the light poles. He grabbed on to the side of an upcoming light pole and swung himself into the air, curling forward into a flip before landing on one of the light poles. He took a moment to scout around for any of the girls and massaged the back of his neck when he found no one at all. "Looks like I overdid it."

_He shivered when he sensed a presence on the light pole behind him..._

"Don't fret." Akira's voice ran from behind him. "We're much quicker than you think!" She jumped at him with her last word, and he dropped off the light before she could grab him by the arm. He landed on the roof of one of the shops and dashed across it before jumping on to the next shop roof. There was a sudden ominous aura spreading along it and he looked to the right to find Makie trying to blindside him. He whipped his head to the left, however, to find another Makie rushing to him from that side as well.

_"What the-"_ Negi mouthed, his expression bordering on sheer confusion.

"Here's a little magic trick!" The gymnast giggled maniacally before both of her split into two other copies. She did it again, and again, and again until her numbers were overwhelming. They all closed in on him and he expected to be caught, but all of the passed right through him. He was so caught up in the confusion that he barely got a glimpse of Yuna coming up right in front of him...barely being the key word. She tried to catch him in her arms, but he placed a hand on her left shoulder and swung over her with a summersault and landing behind her before continuing his sprint across the roof. He kicked off when he reached the ledge, gliding over a group of female students, and came to a landing on top of a fountain statue's head before kicking off again to land a few feet away from it. As soon as he hit the ground, Ako and Akira came after him at the same time from both sides. Akira dropped into a leg sweep, forcing him to jump over it before finding Ako running directly under him. She grinned up at him deviously before she jumped up after him, but he curled into a flip before she could grip him by the ankles and landed on the floor with a hand stand.

"M-Y GA-WD!" He found Makie coming up behind him as he continued running on his hands, and tried his best to keep up his pace, but he eventually lost his balance and fell to the side...conveniently getting out of Makie's way just as she lunged for him. "Geez...huff...this is gonna kill me." the young magi panted as he stumbled back on to his feet. He got back to a good pace and looked into the distance to see the plaza come into view just across the lake that divided the busy street from it. Students were paddling across it with small two seated boats, while some rowed across it in groups. This was going to get dangerous, that was for sure. He took his running into second gear and sped across the river with the girls on his tail. To the students riding the boats, all they say were five rushing blurs that left large surges of water in a trail that kept on weaving in and out of each other as if they were trying to meet. It was pretty fun to watch until the blurs got near their boats at which point they would become drenched with the water that was kicked up by their mad dash.

Guys immediately turned to their female companions to see if they wore any undergarments...

...some were disappointed...

Many others were slapped...hard...

"Yesh! Yesh!" Negi cheered at the sight of the plaza stair steps before spitting out that water that managed to find itself in his mouth. "We're here!"

"Just a little further girls!" Ako hyped up her sisters. "The plaza is up ahead."

"This is our victory!" Akira smirked.

"He's ours!" Makie cried out, closing her right hand into a fist before her very eyes.

"HAHAHAHA!" Yuna laughed like a maniac at the fun she was having. When the others looked at her, she recomposed herself and cleared her throat. "I mean, yeeeaaaah!"

"Come on! Come on!" Negi's eyes swiveled from side to side desperately. "Eva...where are you?" He questioned, finding himself running deeper and deeper into the plaza grounds until he reached the World Tree in all of it's wondrous glory. He ran up the final flight of stairs that lead up to the spot he had his conversation with the chibi-vampire only to find that nothing still had happened. The girls were still running after him at full speed. "Ma-ste-r! Co-me o-n!" He cried out for her assistance, but to no avail, he found himself running up the side of the towering, imposing tree with the dark quartet never missing a beat in their chase. Before long all five of them were up in it's branches, dodging side to side, and ducking and jumping to keep from crashing into any of them.

"He won't escape in this mass of branches!" Ako cried out.

"Now is the time to strike!" Yuna agreed.

"Submit!" Akira commanded Negi, picking up her speed, but before all four of them could grab him they saw something that made their blood run cold. There, standing on the side of the tree as though it were the very floor itself was Evangeline McDowell with her arms crossed.

_**"HOLY-"**_ All four of them cursed out, but before they could stop themselves to turn tail and flee, a large glyph appeared under them and gold bands of light shot out to hold them in place with the exception of Negi. The young magi performed a shundo to escape in time, grabbing a hold of a large branch to finally put his sprint to a halt. He landed on one of the other branches and slumped against the side of the tree, his body gone past the point of exhaustion.

"Hey! This isn't...ungh...right!" Ako cried out, struggling against the bands that kept her from escaping, but it was all for nothing as it was too strong to break free from.

"You tricked us!" Yuna screamed. "Why would you do this to us, Negi?"

"We could have all been together! Why must you hate us?" Makie demanded to know.

"Is there a crime in wanting to assist you in your search? Is there evil in hoping to gain your trust and affection?" Akira asked, the only one of the four who did not struggle or scream. "Are we so repulsive?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Negi shook his head, still trying to catch his breath. "I'm doing this to protect all of you. I can't allow you all to put yourselves in danger...especially while you possess the bodies of my students."

"Negi! There must be another way!" Ako tried to convince him to pull back in his plans. "Please...don't turn your back on us."

Negi stared deep into her crimson orbs and smiled at her sadly. "I'll see you later, girls."

"Well," Evangeline held out her hand and pointed at the four of them, "You heard him. It's time to go to sleep."

"No mistress, wait!" Akira held out her arms to brace herself but it was useless. The dark wizard traced an invisible glyph before them and they were consumed by a brilliant, red light.

_**"Arrrrrgh!"**_

_**-F-V-A-**_

_-There you go, Negi. I've done what you wanted, so take them to their dorms already before they wake up. _

_-Are you serious?_

_-Duh! What the hell do you think is gonna happen? Are they going to just walk themselves there unconscious?_

_-But I'm so...tired._

_-Tired? You'll get no sympathy from me with that lousy excuse. Now get to it!_

_-Oh gawd, now? I feel like I'm gonna die already!_

_-STOP WHINING!_

* * *

_**Evangeline's Residence...**_

* * *

Negi looked at the phone he held in his hand and did his best to restrain the sudden urge to smash it into little pieces. Breaking the news to Evangeline nearly put an end to his hapless life so he figured that the great deities that governed the natural order of the world would give him a break, but considering who he was and all, he should have known better than to flock to such high hopes. He already felt rather worn since he just had the most dangerous game of tag with four lustful halflings that still had the possibility of returning despite his best efforts. That being taken into consideration, he seriously was not looking forward to anymore taxing agendas although escaping the possibility of more curve balls for the afternoon was a foolish prospect that managed to elude him almost everyday of his life. He was beginning to wonder if he'd been a puppy murderer in a past life. There just could be no other explanation for the type of misfortune he was cursed with. All in all, breaking the news to Takamichi had not gotten the reaction he had quite hoped for.

He expected the, usually mellow, elder mage to be caught completely off guard by his decision, but stand by him and encourage the idea of adventure. What he received over the phone in exchange for his boldness was something he would expect more from a parent that had absolutely no trust placed within their child. It wasn't that Negi had ever seen the white clad teacher as anyone to take the role of a father figure, but now he beginning to wonder if that was the man's intention all along since he had come to teach at the academy. Takamichi demanded that he come meet with him at the headmaster's office before he even thought about packing his bags to depart. Talks were something the young magi was growing wary of. These days, they usually entailed more than a simple exchange of words.

"I should have expected things to come to this." Negi said to no one in particular before he heaved a sigh. "A simple phone call wouldn't be enough to settle matters. That would be way too easy...kind of unfair too, now that I really come to think about it."

"You were saying something?" Chachamaru's voice suddenly inquired from behind him without warning. Normally he would have flinched in surprise, but he was growing accustomed to these kind of meetings so it barely had any effect on him.

"Ah, Chachamaru." Negi turned to face the gynoid. The expression on her face caught him off guard, however. Taking the place of her usual deadpanned expression was one that he would associate with betrayal. It was one he found himself met with on quite a few faces today, but she was the last person he'd expect to find with one. "Hey, are you alright? You look like something is really bothering you."

"I overheard the mistress talking to herself in her room." Chachamaru began as she set down her silver platter on the table. "I was not comfortable with what I heard. She said that you were planning on leaving Mahora."

"...Eh-heh..." Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously, doing his best to keep his eyes locked with hers. The way she stared into his orbs unnerved him. "I was hoping that no one else would find out about that."

"You mean to tell me that you are keeping this a secret?" The betrayal in her voice was like a blow to his stomach. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tonight." Negi answered her.

"Tonight?" Chachamaru echoed him, running a hand through her hair. "...Why?"

"I'd rather keep all the details under wraps."

"Why did you keep this from me?"

Negi crossed his arms, looking away form her for a moment before turning back to her with a light sigh. "I was going to tell you yesterday when we went to the supermarket together, but...I figured that it would have been best if I just left it alone."

"I would be taking this a little easier if I heard it from your mouth." Chachamaru caught him off guard with her retort. He really managed to put her off with this one. "What could have possibly happened from revealing this sort of information to me?"

"You would try to follow me."

"There would be a problem?"

"Of course." Negi answered her without any hesitation. "I can't have any of you come with me. Besides, Eva-chan needs you."

"She has others like me." Chachamaru retorted.

"There is no other like you, Chacha-chan." His words made her cheeks flush. "That's why I need you to be with her. I trust you."

"But where are you going?"

"I don't know yet."

"That's very reckless, sensei."

"I've been told that I am." Negi chuckled.

"I find no humor in this." Chachamaru said sourly.

"Well...I gave it a shot." Negi smirked, but it dropped from his face when the gynoid closed the distance between them and pulled him into an embrace. He was rigid at first from the sudden contact, but he gradually relaxed and placed his arms around her as well. "Are you...okay?"

"A stupid question." She replied dejectedly. "Yet, I suppose that is normal for you."

_Ouch. That sort of smarted._ Negi inwardly winced at her words.

_A pregnant silence..._

"Until now I have been afraid." She said, suddenly.

"Of what?"

"Of my own feelings for you, Negi-kun." Chachamaru confessed.

"...Chachamaru?"

"I felt that they were unacceptable...perhaps impossible, and maybe they would even be...unappreciated." The young woman held him even tighter much to his shock. He felt her arms begin to tremble lightly. "I feared the the mistress would punish me for them, but for some reason today I had the courage to admit to it...even if it was not the entire truth. Despite that, she read through me easily."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Negi." She spoke his name uneasily. "I have found myself completely in love with you." When she heard him gasp, she felt her courage leave her for a moment, but she pushed on anyway. "I couldn't explain it when it first became apparent to me, however, the time I have spent with you and the others slowly allowed me to come to an understanding. This phenomenon that humans have come to fear yet embrace at the same time...I sympathize with them, for I am a victim to it as well."

Negi felt her hand slip onto his head, and stoke his hair affectionately. "I don't care if you love the mistress, sensei."

_Love Evangeline?_

"If you must give yourself to her, then I will not stop you, but I only ask you that you keep me by your side forever. That is all I wish if that is all you can give me. With that I am satisfied, and content with nothing more."

"Chachmaru," Negi mirrored her actions, holding her even tighter against him. He felt her smile against his cheek. "I love you just as much. There is nothing that will take that away from me or you. Don't worry, I'll come back if that is what you're afraid of."

"You promise me?"

"I promise." He felt a little disappointment when she pulled away from him for reasons he couldn't completely understand, but the smile on her face left him at ease. She reached behind her neck and unclipped a necklace she had on. To his intrigue there was a key dangling from it.

"I want you to have this." She told him, grabbing his hand with one hand, and placing the necklace in it with the other. She held his hand with both hands tightly, closing her eyes and spoke softly, "I will await your return, though I cannot promise you that I will wait patiently. I may just come after you instead."

"I just hope that I'll be back before that happens." Negi laughed. He looked at the necklace curiously before nodding to her and clipping it around his neck. He wasn't sure what the key was for, but he would treasure it regardless. "Well, there are still plenty of other things I have to take care of before I leave so I've got to go, but I'll come back later tonight to say goodbye to both of you."

"Very well." She said with a slight nod of her head. "Then I will see you later." She watched him head for the door, but just as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he came to a sudden halt and turned around with a sheepish grin. "Heh, almost forgot Zero-chan."

"Ah, yes...her." Chachamaru suddenly became rather tense. "I left her on the kitchen counter again."

Negi blinked a few times. "...Again?"

_What were they fighting about this time?_ The young magi thought with a sigh as he headed for the kitchen door...although with what just happened moments ago, he was sure that he had a good idea of what it might have been. _Zero could be so cruel sometimes..._

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**Heading back to the Dorm Room...**_

* * *

"Neeeeeeegiiiiiiiiii!" Came Konoka's usual loving greeting as she crushed her beloved teacher in a hug. Negi could only allow himself to be swung from left to right before she finally let go of him with a smile on her face that would melt all of what was left of Antarctica. "Oh!" She jumped up and down excitedly, forcing Negi to avert his eyes slightly at the bouncing sight before him. "You have two very special visitors!"

Now those words really clicked a dial in the young magi's brain. Who would want to come and see _him_ this late in the afternoon? He could understand coming earlier in the morning, but today was a school day, and he would _supposedly_ be busy tomorrow so just how long had they been waiting? "Um, two visitors? Who are they, Kono-chan?"

"It's a surprise!" Konoka replied, bring both of her hands to her chest as she balled them into fists. Her answer made the young man deflate, but then again, he really shouldn't have expected anything more from his bubbly student/ dorm mate.

...Wait just a second. There was something about this particular scene that felt quite familiar. In fact, it just quite frankly disturbed the hell out of Negi because he kind of had an idea of just where this was going. The way Chachazero tensed when she heard Konoka say, _"Two special guests." _didn't exactly sit very well with him either because that could only mean...no...oh gawd, no...please don't let it be _"her"__. _Anybody else would do, maybe even just her underling, but anyone but her!

**_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_** Negi's mind exploded as his eyeballs became two mere black specks. Sweat started dripping down the side of his forehead, and his legs lost the strength in their knees. His hands began trembling, and his skin became pale. All of this was interpreted the wrong way by one, Konoka Konoe.

"Oh, you look so excited!" Konoka squealed happily before she grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him into the dorm room. She walked down the hall with her usual pep in her step, Negi being dragged along against his will, and she brought him to the living room where he was met with a murderous look from Asuna that simply screamed, _"YOU'RE THE REASON SHE'S HERE!"_

His eye swiveled over to the couch quickly to find his fledgling, Takane Goodman, wearing a soft, black turtleneck with white-wide legged pants, and black pumps. It was a much more relaxed look than what he usually found her wearing. There was a young woman sitting beside her wearing a pink polo shirt and chino pants with brown flats. She had her red hair in a long pony tail, and her brown eyes and delicate face made her seem familiar, but he just didn't recognize her, until-

"Negi-kuuuun!" The young woman jumped up from the couch, getting a shocked look from Takane as she seemed to be taken completely off guard by her companion's reaction to his presence. Konoka stepped to the side to avoid being caught in the hug as the girl crashed into the helpless magi and brought him into a bone crushing hug that almost rivaled the one he had just received from Konoka a while ago. "Man, it's been a while since I've seen you!"

"H-Has it?" Negi asked, trying to fill his lungs with precious oxygen. "Who...are you again?"

"Huh?" She quirked an eyebrow at his question before she let him go. She placed her hands on her hips, and asked, "Are you serious? It's me, Mei!"

"Mei?" Negi almost couldn't believe his eyes. Time had a way with girls, didn't it? "Wow, I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Heh, heh!" Mei laughed mischievously. "Like my new look?" She struck a little pose for him.

"You look very nice!" Negi complimented her before receiving a little pinch on his neck from his familiar. _Ow!_

"Ahem..." Negi turned his attention to Takane when she cleared her throat to get his attention. The expectant look on her face made it clear that she wanted him to greet her as well. She didn't look any different now than she did two years ago although that was to be expected since he turned her.

"Takane..." Negi said her name softly, looking into her eyes to check if it was truly her. Even though he finally accepted her as his fledgling, granting her dark ego what it desired from him most, his relationship with Dark Takane was something out of the ordinary. One would describe it as a love/hate relationship in some cases, while others would just label it as unhealthy. Takane's dark side adored Negi with a passion that some would see as being scary yet she would become his worst enemy at the drop of a dime if he showed signs of giving his attention to someone other than her while she was active, and her wickedness wasn't mischievous and affection hungry like the other dark egos he'd dealt with before; no, it was sadistic and twisted. Some engagements that Negi had with Dark Takane on an off day had him dodging flying knives on some occasions while other times he would have to sleep with one eye open. He would have to giver her credit for purposely missing vital spots whenever she tried to harm him though.

_Yeah, she's safe._ Negi let go of the breath he was holding before rushing over to her like he was ecstatic to see her. "Takane!" He held his arms open for her, and she stood up from the couch quickly to accept his embrace. "It's been a while!" _Surprisingly enough. I'm actually relieved that you hadn't come last month._

"Too long!" Takane replied, gripping his body against her in a manner that made the other girls in the room blush lightly.

"Alright, alright-" Negi slipped out of her arms when her hand almost fell toward his buttocks. "That was a little too much."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." The blonde magistress feigned innocence on her part. "Well, you sure seem different today."

"Do I?" Negi's left eye twitched. _She read my mood that quickly?_

_"Staaaalker."_ Chachazero sang into his ear.

"Yeah. Is that anyway to look when your most beloved friend comes to see you?" Takane seemed to forget that Mei was in the room with her. "Or perhaps it's because you have something to hide? Don't tell me you're still up to mischief?" The attitude he associated with her most had still yet to leave her.

"Onesan, we're not here on business anymore." Mei told her.

"Oh-right...my apologies. Bad habits do die hard, you know."

"Yeah, yeah." Asuna said curtly, her arms crossed. "So just how long are you gonna stay this time?"

"Two weeks!" Mei answered in Takane's place, looking to the young magi with a grin. "So let's make the most of it!"

"That's right." Takane nodded, smirking at her master deviously. For a moment, he could have sworn that he sensed her dark ego resurface. "I do."

"That's just great." Negi tried to force some enthusiasm in his voice. He looked at his watch to give her the impression that he had somewhere to go, which he did in actuality, but it was best to look at it anyway for some effect. "Um, so where are you girls going to be staying?"

"Room four o' two, in dorm hall west." Takane answered him.

"Great. So I guess you girls still have to get settled in, right?" He asked hopefully. He just needed something to keep the blonde magistress busy while he got some things taken care of. If she had the chance to accompany him anywhere then his escape plans would be completely ruined. When she stuck with him, that was an understatement. She literally became his shadow whenever she hung out with him.

"Yeah. Their luggage is in our room." Asuna informed him, clearly steamed about it.

"Alright." Negi backed into the doorway of the dorm. "Well, I have a meeting with Takamichi to go to so I've gotta go."

"Already?" Mei groaned. "We just saw each other."

"Yeah, sorry." Negi apologized.

_"Could you at least help us with our bags? You are a gentleman, aren't you?" _Negi felt cold sweat slip down his forehead at the sudden change in Takane's voice. The dark aura that emanated from her seemed to snake around him. Her dark ego was speaking to him now. It would not have been in his best interest to deny her.

"S-Sure."

_What's his deal?_ Asuna thought, quirking a brow curiously.

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**-TIME GAP!-**_

* * *

_**We look up to the mountains where the girls are enjoying a nice, hot soak...**_

* * *

Kaede, Ku-Fei, and Setsuna all sighed contently as they dipped into the steaming water of their metal drums. It was a wonderful way to relax after their first joint training, courtesy of their teacher's coordinating. The ninja, and the chairman was curious as to why the young magi wanted to have a training session together, but it didn't bother them. In fact, they really looked forward to more of them if possible.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Negi asked from his metal drum.

"Yes, disciple." Ku-Fei answered him.

"You may." Setsuna told him.

"I don't see why you close your eyes now." Kaede told him with a fox like grin. "We've shared a drum in the past on occasion." Her sultry words caused the young man to blush while the other two girls could only stare at them in shock. Now that was one way to start a conversation.

"That true, Negi-chan?" The Chinese girl asked him, gripping the sides of her drum as if she was going to jump out at Kaede.

"Er...yeah." He said with a sheepish nod, sinking deeper into the water until all that could be seen was his eyes.

"Wow." Setsuna blinked.

"He even told me that he was amazed by the size of my breasts." Kaede decided to add, making the water in Negi's drum boil. "He is surprisingly bold."

"Ah..." Ku-Fei, having the flat chest that she had, looked down and bowed her head in defeat.

"...Ah-hah..." Setsuna felt the same way, burning red. "I had no idea..."

"C-Cut that out, Kaede-san!" Negi flailed his arms. "A-Anyway, I figured that we'd all just have an evening of training together so we could have this moment to ourselves. You know, even though I always train with the three of you, I found it odd that we never met like this together before. I'm glad that I finally could have experienced that."

"I'll admit that it was a pleasant experience." Kaede said before looking to Ku-Fei. "Sparring with you was especially rewarding."

"Same to you." Ku-Fei replied with a smile. She looked to Setsuna, and the swordsman mirrored her smile. "I had no idea that you were disciplined in the arts as well."

"Well, one must be prepared for any situation. I'd hate to be defenseless without a blade." Setsuna said before looking to Negi. "But I must say that I am amazed with you most of all. To put yourself under so much training is a wonder. When you first came to Mahora, I never would have imagined that we would share this bond."

"I must say that I agree." Kaede concurred.

"Ah, so long ago." The chairman nodded. "He was so cute then."

"And what am I now?" Negi asked with a grin. "Ugly?"

"Hideous." Kaede answered him.

"Unbearable." Setsuna added.

"Homely." Ku-Fei giggled.

_The four of them laughed after looking at each other for a long moment of silence._

"It's great to see you laughing again." Kaede suddenly told the young magi, getting his attention. "This morning, seeing you in class made me wonder if something had happened to you."

"That' true. Everyone was worried." said Ku-Fei, dipping into the water for a moment to soak her shoulders.

"The ojou-sama was especially worried." Setsuna told him. "You know how she gets whenever she sees you that way. She couldn't stop talking about it."

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys. I didn't mean to." Negi gave them an apologetic look.

"But you've been that way for most of the week." Ku-Fei observed. "You don't want to talk about it?"

"We don't mind sharing that weight on your shoulders." Kaede told him warmly. "You must understand that you cannot bear it all."

Setsuna watched her teacher's face go through an array of emotion, though they were so brief that his mask covered them immediately. _If only they knew the truth, sensei. Now that I look back on our conversation in the past, I find myself regretting it. Is it because I'm selfish? Perhaps I am. I would rather have you stay with us, visiting the library every evening with false hopes of releasing McDowell instead of losing you to the rest of the world...even if it is temporarily. It's because I know what will happen when you leave. Everyone will lose themselves to the sorrow that you'll leave behind. The smiles will disappear, even if they try to find ways to mask their sadness. _Everything became inaudible as she watched Negi and the other two girls laugh at something he had said. She wanted this moment to last an eternity...and moments later...

...it was over...

_**-F-V-A-**_

"You wanted to speak with me, Setsuna?" Negi asked the swordsman, meeting her by the cliff side that was near the camp they all set up for the night. Kaede and Ku-Fei were sitting near the camp fire, cooking the food for the night. "Heh, heh. I never knew it was so relaxing in a drum until Kaede opened my eyes to her world." The young magi tried to humor Setsuna, drying his hair with a small towel that the kunoichi gave him.

"Sensei." The serious tone in her voice made the grin on the young magi's lips drop. "I had a talk with Tatsumiya earlier in the afternoon."

Negi felt that the direction of this conversation wasn't heading anywhere pleasant already. "Oh, did you? About what?" He did his best to appear as if he had no idea where she was going with her words.

"You know very well, what." Setsuna answered him, sounding anything but happy. "She told me that you were taking her with you on your journey." The swordsman turned away from the view of the moon to face him. "How could you come to that decision? Do you really trust her that much over me, or Kaede and Ku-Fei? Is she really that much more closer to you than the rest of us that you would allow her the exception of accompanying you when you've made it clear that you intend on going alone?"

"Setsuna, she didn't give me a choice in the matter."

"You mean, she's forcing you to take her with you?"

"It's, uh," Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously. Telling her what Mana told him the last night they spent together at the Tatsumiya shrine wouldn't have been honorable. That was something that could only be kept between him and the lovely marksman. That was the new bond that they shared, and yet he would still have to leave her behind regardless of her pledge to him. It was the only way to keep her safe, "Really complicated...you see. The circumstances aren't really something I can just talk about."

"Everything is so complicated when it comes to you, sensei." The swordsman retorted curtly. "If it's really so hard to open up to me then I want to hear nothing from you."

"But Setsuna..." Negi groaned, shaking his head. He sighed and said, "I don't intend to take her with me regardless of what she wants."

Setsuna's eyes widened slightly at this information. "You're...going to leave her behind? Are you serious?"

"I told you that I'm doing this alone. There will be no exceptions, so you don't have to worry about that."

"But sensei-"

"Yeah, I know she'll be angry about it, but she has to understand that it's for her own safety." Negi explained. "Don't you see that's my reason for leaving them all behind? I know that they would willingly accompany me. That's how close we all are to each other, that we feel we can help and depend on one another, but there comes a point when that can lead to danger." He placed a hand on his chest before going on, "Setsuna...over the past three years things have changed for me drastically. My whole situation is completely different from before I came to Mahora campus. The fact that I'm a mage is no longer the only thing that can jeopardize the safety of those around me. It's much more serious than that now."

"What do you mean?" Setsuna looked distressed at his words. "Does this have anything to do with you being Eva-san's disciple?"

_She really hit close to home with that guess!_ Negi cringed at how close she was to the truth. She was quite perceptive, that much was sure. "That is another complicated situation that would be better left unexplained, but, uh, yeah...it has a lot to do with that."

"That makes it all the more sensible to bring support!" Setsuna argued.

"No!" Negi scolded her, much to her shock. It was the first time he'd ever raised his voice at her. "No..." He repeated himself, but much softer than before. "I won't allow it." His eyes sharpened upon her. "That is why I'm counting on you to keep all of this a secret. No matter how much they ask or demand to know...you must never tell them the truth. That goes especially for Kono-chan. You know that they'll try to find me, even after I've left campus."

"N-Negi-"

"I need you to promise me, Setsuna."

"...You're so cold to me, sensei." Setsuna said somberly, bowing her head. Her action took Negi aback. "Do I really seem so detached from the others in all of this that you feel that you can just impart all this information with me without it ever affecting me?"

"What?"

"You keep on saying, "them", "they", "her", but what about me?" Setsuna looked up at him with moist eyes. "Must I be so strong for you that I cannot have my own feelings? I too have no desire to see you go, and yet you treat me as some neutral mediator here. How do you know that I won't follow you in secret? With my wings I have an advantage over the others. Just knowing that you're leaving is enough of an advantage in all of this."

"But you wouldn't Setsuna." Negi assured her with a small smile. "You would have to leave Konoka to do so."

"But-"

"You know more than I do how important she is to you. You would never choose me over her."

Setsuna was at a loss for words. She simply couldn't form any argument to counter his reason. "But...but-"

"Setsuna," Negi stepped towards her and pulled her into an embrace. He found that he wanted to share one with all of the girls lately, but that was natural under the current circumstances. The way the swordsman trembled as she wrapped her arms around his waist reminded him that she was just like the other girls. She had her moments of weakness as well. She wasn't invincible. "I don't tell you all of this because I don't feel that we have a special bond. I tell you because I trust you that much more than the others. I trust you to be stronger, and trust you to understand my reasons for handling this situation the way I am now."

"Sensei..." She buried her face in his chest, dampening his shirt. "I care for you just...as much as I do for ojou-sama."

"I'm honored to hear that Se-chan, but I need you to be stronger for me." Negi held her away from him to get her to look at him. "Can you do that for me?" His heart almost melted at how adorable she looked with tears in her eyes.

"Of course..." She answered him as firmly as she could, wiping her eyes quickly. "Who do you think I am?" Her voice cracked, but she did her best to keep from breaking out into tears again.

"You're Setsuna, and you've always been around to watch my back when I'm in trouble." Negi placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair like she would usually do with him in the past. She batted his hand away in annoyance and offered him a weak smile. "That's better."

"Three years ago," The swordsman ran her hands through her hair as she tried to regain her composure before continuing with her words, "I would have never predicted this happening. When I first saw you walking through that classroom door in Takahata-sensei's place, my only thoughts were, _"What is this boy thinking? He has no idea what he's getting himself into"._ Looking back on what's happened since that day, I still find myself impressed every time I think about it. Negi, you're an extraordinary individual, and perhaps we're all just so overprotective of you because we don't want to share you with the rest of the world. Yes, it's selfish, but it's because we don't want to risk losing you."

"Everything doesn't last forever." Negi told her.

"Ah, you misunderstand me." Setsuna told him, closing her eyes. "Regardless of how mature you act, and how much you grow, you still lack perception and experience. We love you." She saw him blush deeply when she spoke those last three words. "And it's hard to see those we love just leave, even if it isn't forever." She placed her hand on her heart. "It hurts even more when that person doesn't tell us good-bye. You have to understand that even though your reasons are in our best interests, we all won't understand them as easily as you expect us to. We will get confused. We will become sad, and sometimes those feelings can even lead to anger. My words are not to stop you from carrying on your decision, but rather so you can understand our point of view."

"...I understand." Negi replied.

"Perhaps you do." Setsuna mused. "Perhaps you don't, but I guess I wouldn't know."

"So...that boy that walked through the classroom door three years ago...what do you think when you look at him now?" He asked her.

"My thoughts of him now?" She giggled, stroking her chin before she offered him a good natured grin. "_What is this young man thinking?_ _He has no idea what he's getting himself into_. Those are my thoughts of him now."

"Heh. Glad to hear that..."

* * *

_It sure doesn't look like there's anyone around here._ Negi thought to himself, landing at the top of the stair steps that lead into the Tatsumiya shrine. Even though there wasn't a full moon in the evening sky tonight, he still couldn't help but recall the fateful evening that he met the lovely marksman to reclaim his staff from her as he passed under the crimson archway. He never would have imagined that it would bring them so close to each other. Just remembering the expression on her face as she pledged herself to him sent shivers through his entire being. It just seemed so unreal when it all happened.

He reached the shrine house where the both of them usually spent time with each other and reached into the inside pocket of his long jacket to pull out a small envelope. He took a long moment to look at it and heaved out a long sigh as though the paper container held all of the weight that he felt weighing down his heart. _I'm sorry Mana, but this is the only way to get my message through to you...without getting hurt. You probably wouldn't listen to me if I tried persuading you face to face._

"Negi?" The young magi shoved the envelope into his jacket as quickly and discreetly as he possibly could when he heard Mana's voice call out to him from behind. _Crap, crap, crap, crap. What is she doing here this late?_

"There you are." Negi turned around quickly to face her, attempting to make it seem as though he was looking for her. "How long were you here?"

"I just got here." Mana replied, closing the distance between them until she walked past him to enter the shrine. "I left behind my case." She told him, spotting what she came for sitting on the table inside. When she got that out of the way she came back out and closed the door with a question of, "What were you doing here?"

"I was actually looking for you." He lied.

Mana pulled back the long sleeve of her brown jacket to look at her watch before giving him a skeptical look. "Do you realize how late it is? If you wanted to see me then you should have come to my dorm. What is the real reason you came here for?"

_I should have known that wouldn't have worked. _Negi thought to himself, finding it hard to stare down her piercing orbs. "...I was just in deep thought. I find that coming here makes that much easier for me. I'd have to deal with one of the girls anywhere else."

"Are you seriously still bothered about leaving them behind?" There was a hint of irritation laced in her words. He wondered why it bothered her so much.

"No. I'm actually over that now." Negi answered her, matching her tone. "I'm just a bit curious, is all."

"About what?"

"Mana...why do you want to come with me anyway?" The young magi inquired, genuinely interested in hearing her reasons. "And to make things even more confusing...pledging yourself to me...do you realize what that means?"

"Do you believe me to be foolish enough to do something like that without fully understanding what it would entail?" Her response was cold, without any emotion, but Negi could tell that he insulted her.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to make it sound that way."

"So you want to know my reasons for wanting to join you..." Mana mused, approaching him slowly. "I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to understand my reasons for making such a decision." She came to a halt when they were back to back.

"Try me."

"I don't think I will."

"Why not?"

"Because if you did understand, it would make matters complicated." She answered him.

_Now I know how Setsuna felt when I gave her a similar answer._ The young magi inwardly collapsed in defeat.

_Silence..._

A breeze blew through the shrine causing the reeds to moan their haunting tune. It also gave the young magi a glimpse of Mana's dark, silk hair, allowing him to know that she was still standing behind him. "So you're seriously not giving me a choice in the matter?"

"No, I'm not."

"...We're leaving tomorrow night, then." He lied to her. "I'll meet you here at the shrine."

"I'll wait for you." Mana replied. He heard her footfalls lead away toward the stair steps, but she came to a halt. "Will you be here tomorrow morning to meditate with me?"

"No." Negi didn't want to sound hesitant. She could pick up certain things easily. "I'll be taking up most of the day getting my things ready for our departure."

"Alright then." She seemed to accept his answer. When he was sure that she had taken her leave he walked back to the shrine house and pulled the slightly crumpled envelope out of the inner pocket of his jacket before slipping it through the small slit on the side of the sliding door. When that was done he turned around and looked at the crimson archway that lead to the stair steps, whispering, "_I'm sorry."_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**Returning to Evangeline's Residence...**_

* * *

"Come in." Evangeline called out to the door of her bedroom, sitting on her bed with a small treasure box in her hand. She was dressed in a black, shoulder strap night gown that stopped at her knees with a small black bow on her chest. She had a silk, black lace tied around her neck in a little bow, and she had another on her head. Negi thought she looked adorable as he entered her bedroom. He just couldn't picture her usual evil smirk on her face with her cute appearance. She resembled a gothic doll.

"Good evening, Eva-chan." He greeted her before inquiring, "You go to sleep looking like that?"

"Sometimes, yeah." Evangeline answered him. "What for?"

"It's cute." He answered her boldly, getting a glare from her.

"Whatever." She grumbled, doing her best to make the light blush on her cheeks unnoticeable. She held the small treasure bow in her hand out to him and said, "I want you to take this with you."

"Really?" Negi blinked in surprise. This was a little out of character for her. "I don't know what to say."

"It has some of the things that you'll need if you want a fighting chance at surviving where you're going." She said, effectively crushing that warm feeling that the young magi was feeling. "It has a small cooler with some blood packets, although there aren't very much so only drink them whenever you desperately need to. After you've exhausted them, means of attaining blood are completely up to you." She smirked wickedly. "Good luck with that. I packed two spell books, one holds very complex dark spells, but I'm sure our study sessions in the past will make it possible for you to understand. The other holds white magic spells."

"White magic?" Negi was surprised to hear that come from her mouth.

"For abnormal injuries and ailments." Evangeline answered his unspoken question with a look that said, _"Duh, idiot"._ "Even though you've inherited my level of regeneration abilities, wise and experienced midians know how to mortally wound their own kind very effectively. Talented mages would have that kind of knowledge to so you'll need to know how to heal yourself through various methods. Oh, and if you happen to have the misfortune to come against any of our mortal enemies...you'll definitely need these spells."

"Mortal enemies?"

"You'll know if you meet them." Evangeline answered him cryptically. "You know the number to my house phone, but I've packed a possession gem anyway. You'll need it if you need to contact me in a tight situation, which knowing the unwanted attention you're known to attract, will come sooner than you'll expect." She tapped the emerald stone on the ring she had on her finger. "They come in pairs so naturally I have the other one that is bonded with the one I've given you. If you feel that it might be taken from you, destroy it."

"Who am I supposed to use it on?" Negi asked, looking at her as though she'd lost her mind.

Evangeline's eyes wandered to Chachazero, who was resting on his head. "Her, of course."

"...Right." He felt stupid for asking, although the idea of Evangeline's voice coming from his familiars mouth kind of amused him. "Is that all?"

"Take this too." She opened her other hand to hand him a cross that she'd been gripping the entire time.

"...Wow." Negi just stared at the morbidly styled crucifix. It sure looked like something she would carry around. "I need God's protection?"

"No, you idiot." The chibi-vampire growled. "This will come in handy in dire situations. Basically if you find yourself fighting against one of my old friends."

"Will it burn them?"

"...Shut up, huh?" Evangeline scowled at him, cracking her knuckles. "Just think of me, and you'll understand. Only use it in a dire situation...understand?"

"I understand." Negi nodded before he felt her drop the small box onto his hand. It was the same box she lent him when he moved into her house. After taking a long moment to stare at it, he slowly looked up to regard his master. Their eyes remained locked for a good while until the young magi sighed and said, "So I guess this is good-bye, huh?"

"Yeah." Evangeline nodded, crossing her arms. "Trust no one, got that?"

"Alright."

"Don't get involved with any shady characters."

"Yeah, got it."

"Know your limits. It's never shameful to run when you're backed into a corner."

"A-are you...worried for me?" Negi asked her timidly when she looked as if she was going to give him more advice. "You kind of sound like a worried mother."

"Well...I guess I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." The vampiress admitted. "I mean, you are doing thins for me."

"I won't let you down."

_They both stared at each other silently..._

Before Evangeline could react to anything, Negi suddenly took her into his arms tightly. It was all so unexpected for her that she couldn't move a muscle while it all happened. She just allowed herself to be embraced by him, and before long, she found her arms gradually working their way around him as well. She couldn't explain what had taken over her body at that moment. It was as though her arms were given a life of their own and she could do nothing to stop them. By the time her mind caught up with her body, it was too late. She was hugging him back.

"I needed that..." Negi whispered into her ear softly, sending pleasant chills through her body. "...Thanks." She wasn't sure why she felt hollow when he slipped his arms away from her, but she felt it expand when he turned his back on her and left the room. The silence that was left was deafening, and the open space around her seemed to stretch out like a wasteland before her. She looked down at her hands to find them twitching, and she got down on her knees unable to look away from them as one thought kept echoing in her mind...

* * *

Asuna moaned in her sleep as she turned, slipping one leg out from underneath the covers. She nibbled on a strand of hair that fell over her face, and turned again only to flinch awake when she heard a light rapping on the door. She shot up in a sitting position, hands positioned as if she was holding a two handed sword, but she dropped them at her lap quickly when she realized how silly she appeared. "What the hell?" She muttered drowsily, squinting her eyes at the door across the room. When there was another knock on the door, she scowled at it and moved for the ladder on the side of the bunk to climb down to the floor and make the long walk to the door. She grumbled to herself crankily the entire walk, and turned the pivot on the top lock before opening the door to see the last person she'd expect to be outside of the room.

"Huh?" Asuna leaned over in his face, patting Negi's cheek with one hand and turned around to walk to his private little room to find no one sleeping in his futon. That knowledge coming to light, Asuna was now fully awake. "N-Negi?" The young magi heard her voice rumble from the dorm before she returned to the door to meet him, looking shocked. "What the hell are you still doing out there? Do you realize how late it is?"

"Shhh!" Negi placed a finger on her lips, which she didn't bite off to his surprise. "You're gonna wake up Kono-chan."

"Whatever." She said, lowering her voice anyway. "You should be sleeping right now." Her eyes scrutinized his appearance, and she narrowed them at him, asking, "And what's up with that backpack? Are you Lara Croft now?"

"Uhhh, no." Negi quirked an eyebrow. Maybe she wasn't really that fully awake. Either that or she just had a really bad way of making similarities between things. He cleared his throat, a serious expression washing over his face. "We should take this outside."

"You wanna talk at this hour?" Asuna asked, not sounding too happy about this unexpected turn at the middle of the night. "Could this just wait til' tomorrow? I'd really like to get back to sleep, you know?"

"It's really important." Negi told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please, I really want you to hear me out, Asuna."

She shot him an annoyed look, but after seeing how serious he was about the matter, she decided to just go along with it. "Alright." She submitted, leaving the door slightly ajar as she stepped out of the room. "What's so important that you're dragging me out of bed for?"

"You've been my closest friend ever since I began my first year teaching here." He saw a confused expression wash over her face as he went on, "I'll admit that it's been a little rocky between us because of our differences, but despite all that I couldn't have ever asked for a better partner. You've given me a place to call home with you and Kono-chan, and for that I will always be grateful. It's because of all of that, and more that I don't want you to be in the dark about this."

"Wha...what are you talking about?" The confused grin on her lips told him that she still didn't understand how serious this was.

"I'm leaving, Asuna."

"Oh, I get it." Asuna nodded, taking him by surprise. "You're moving in with Eva again, aren't you?"

Negi blinked a few times in disbelief. "...No."

"Yue, then? You two seem pretty close." She gave it another shot with a mischievous grin. "Don't do anything unadvised."

He sighed. "Just listen to me."

"Why are you so serious?"

"I'm leaving Mahora, Asuna." Negi told her. His words made the grin on her face slowly dissolve. What she was hearing could not have been true. This was probably just a joke he was playing on her. He was definitely going back to Evangeline, she was sure of it. That was the reason he was behaving so oddly in class. The vampiress probably demanded that he come back to her for more training so he was having low spirits about it. She couldn't blame him, that girl's training was almost like torture from what she heard out of Setsuna and Konoka's mouth. Yes, that was it. There was no mistaking it.

"Just be quiet, and go back to her already." She told him with a chuckle. "You expect me to believe that you're just going to leave? It wouldn't make any sense."

"I'm telling you the truth." Negi tried to convince her, but she was beyond listening to him now. It was as though she refused to hear anything more about the subject.

"Look, stop joking around, alright?" The red-head told him, crossing her arms like a child. "I'm not laughing anymore."

_Negi kissed her on the forehead._

"Take care for me." With that, he turned away from her and proceeded to walk to the exit of the building across the hall. He didn't even turn look back at her as he reached the double doors, saying, "And don't relax in class just because I won't be there."

"Huh?" She watched one of the heavy doors close behind him and she walked towards them slowly. _He wasn't serious about that. I'll see him in class tomorrow...I'm sure of it._ Her feet started to move quicker._ I mean, why would he leave Mahora without us? If he's going anywhere then he'd have to bring us along. All of us are his partners. We're his friends!_ She broke out into a run and she rammed through the door in hopes of catching him before he was gone, but all she was met with was the sight of the trees, swaying the the midnight breeze. She looked to the sky quickly to try and get a glimpse of him flying away, but it appeared that he was truly gone.

"N-Negi..." She trembled, clutching her head.

_"Takamichi..." _A man dressed like her favorite teacher spoke to a younger version of him, slumped against a rock with a bloody wound covering his dress shirt. The blood seeped through the white fabric and leaked on to his white slacks. _"About her memory. Be sure to erase the parts about me."_

_"Master, what're you saying?" _The young Takamichi seemed t protest at the elder man's request.

The man kept a mellow grin on his face despite the blood that dripped down his lips. _"It's nothing the jochan needs to hold on to."_

_**"So Nagi's gone and now you..."**_ She felt her tiny hand rest against the dying man's right hand._** "No."**_

_"Be happy, jochan...for me. You've the right, you know."_

_**"No..."**_

_"NEGI! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_No, don't look back. If you do, you'll just get weaker._ Negi thought to himself, flying over the campus as quickly as he could in hopes of getting away from it. _What good is a decision if you can't even stand by it? There's no turning back now. You've already said what good-byes you can._ His eyes sharped upon a winged form, standing on one of the plaza towers. It appeared to be waiting in his path for a reason.

"Hm?" He finally came close enough to make how who it was, and he came to a halt in front of her, almost throwing his familiar off of his head.

"Wh-why did we stop?" Chachazero blurted out, awakened from her slumber.

"Setsuna?" He spoke the swordsman's name in a questioning manner. "What are you doing up here?"

"I figured you'd come this way since it's the opposite direction of your dorm hall." She smirked at him. "You're too predictable, sensei."

"I-I suppose...I am." Negi admitted, massaging the back of his neck, but he shook of the feeling quickly and persisted with his question, "B-But seriously. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to give you something important before you left." She answered him, moving the wing that concealed her left arm to reveal a blade wrapped in a crimson cloth. "All of that training I've given you would go to waste if you didn't have a blade to call your own, right?"

"I recognize that blade..." Negi's eyes widened in realization. "But I can't accept this...that's the blade Toko-san gave you."

"You would decline a gift from your sensei?" Setsuna asked, holding it out to him. "A gift from a close friend?"

"...Are you sure?" The young magi asked, placing his hand upon the hand she held the blade out to him with.

"Think of it as my own selfish way of going with you." She admitted to him. "If I can't accompany you, then I at least want you to take a part of me with you. This way I'll know that I've been helpful to you somehow." She forced the blade into his hand and let her hand drop at her side so he wouldn't have a chance at giving it back. "Be safe."

The young magi looked down at the sword in his hand before looking back at her and nodded. "I'll come back."

"I know you will."

The vampire shared a moment of silence with the crow demon before gliding out of her way and setting of into the evening sky, leaving behind a breeze that made the young woman's hair sway along with it. She kept her eyes on him as he soared over what was left of the campus until the darkness finally swallowed him away from her sight. It was final. The young magister was off on his journey, leaving her behind to see what would follow in his absence, and it would have been a mockery to simply say that she would dread it.

_So you're finally gone, sensei. _Setsuna thought to herself as she closed her eyes. _Leaving me to deal with the sorrow that will follow._

_-EXIT NEGI SPRINGFIELD-_

-ENTER SETSUNA SAKURAZAKI-

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**The Following Day...**_

* * *

Konoka was delighted to find Setsuna waiting for her and Asuna in front of their dorm hall in the morning. She wasn't quite sure why Negi was sleeping in his futon when she went to go wake him up, but the appearance of her beloved friend managed to take her mind off of it. She saw sure that he probably went to meet with Evangeline or Mana anyway. He had a tendency to disappear in the morning on occasion anyway. The walk to the school building was a little dull, however. Evern though the swordsman had greeted her with a smile when she had seen her, walking with her provided a different experience. She had a somewhat neutral expression on her face the entire trip, and Asuna looked completely drained even though she had just woken up. Her gaze seemed to fall to the floor every few seconds, and her usual proud posture looked more like a person who'd been dragging the weight of the world on their shoulders. There was just an air of anxiety around the two young women that she walked with.

"Are you two okay?" Konoka asked them worriedly. "This just isn't like you two. You're beginning to worry me."

"Hm?" Asuna seemed to snap out of a daze at the sound of her friend's voice. "W-were you speaking to me, Konoka?"

"My apologies, ojou-sama." Setsuna apologized to her friend. "I just have a lot on my mind right now." She looked to the side as she spoke to Konoka and spotted some of the other girls walking their usual path to the school building as well. They were chatting lively as usual, but the sight of four certain girls caught her interest. Walking together in a group, Yuna, Makie, Akira, and Ako seemed to be dragging their feet. The exhausted expressions on their faces just confused her. What got them so tired? It was too early in the morning for that kind of attitude.

_This is turning out to be an odd morning already._ Setsuna thought to herself, doing her best to match Konoka's energetic pace. She looked to the side to see that Asuna's demeanor had improved somewhat, but there was still a certain mood in her walk that didn't appear to be in high spirits. _Had Negi spoken to her last night before he left? This just doesn't seem like Asuna. She's usually so loud and talkative in the morning. _Her eyes swiveled back to Konoka. _The ojou-sama just appears to be completely unaware. I suppose sensei didn't want to see her break down in front of him after he delivered the news. I may have to deal with that myself._

"Is something on my face?" Konoka asked Setsuna with a smile when she noticed her friend studying her face intensely. When she leaned over in the swordsman's face, she jumped back at the sudden closeness she was sharing with her.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Setsuna apologized again, flailing her arms nervously.

"You're pretty jumpy today."

Setsuna entered the class with the other girls and settled in her seat quietly, observing the behavior of the other girls as they made their entrance as well. Kaede, and Ku-Fei entered with smiles on their faces, mostly likely due to the little get together they all had with Negi the night before. She had to admit that they had quite a lot of fun talking with each other in the drums. The former dark quartet entered looking as exhausted as they had been when she'd seen them outside. Some of the other girls entered, but they appeared to be in their usual moods so it didn't catch Setsuna's attention as much as those who were previously mentioned. The library trio entered as well, but Yue appeared to be lagging behind in her walk. She was probably still stinging from the talk they had in the shower room in the afternoon yesterday, however, the entrance that really got the swordsman's attention was that of Mana Tatsumiya. Kazumi, and Misa steered completely clear of her path when she made her way to her assigned seat, clutching a crumpled ball of paper in her hand. The lovely marksman sat in her seat, dropping her bag to the floor roughly and stared dead ahead with a fearsome glimmer in her piercing eyes. The aura that emanated from her screamed murderous intentions.

"Gawd, my body is sore." She heard Yuna grumbled behind her.

"My head hurts..." Makie whined.

"Mine as well." Akira groaned.

"N-Nagi-chan didn't email me last night." Ako lamented, burying her face in her arms at the row beside the swordsman.

_Huh._ Setsuna leaned back a bit when Mana suddenly turned her head to regard her intensely. The tension in the air just seemed to build, and build until she turned away from her and continued looking dead ahead. She wasn't sure just why the marksman decided to stare at her, but the feelings she felt when their eyes connected were cold and intense. Was that look really intended for her, or a certain absent magister?

"No appearance of Evangeline." Setsuna noted to herself. Chachamaru had come in, but the chibi-vampire had not come with her. The gynoid didn't appear to hold her usual dead panned expression as she sat in her seat. There was an obvious downbeat manner about the way she walked to her seat as well. "If sensei won't be here to teach, then who will take his place?" She muttered to no one in particular. Her answer came moments later when Takamichi entered the room with his suitcase in hand. All of the girls stopped what they were doing and looked to him as he set it down on the desk and stood behind it silently. No words came from him. He just stood there, seemingly awaiting a response from them at his presence.

"Um, Takahata-sensei?" Kazumi spoke out. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Negi-kun?" Misa asked.

"He isn't here." Takamichi answered them cryptically. "He won't be teaching today."

"Is he sick?" Konoka inquired, looking more worried than she had been outside. She looked to Asuna when the red-head put her head down. Apparently her fears had come true. Negi really had not come to class as she hoped he would.

_**"Where is he?"**_

_**"Maybe we should go visit him."**_

_**"So that's why he was acting so weird in class yesterday! He was sick!"**_

_**"Man, I'm relieved."**_

"He seemed just fine last night." Setsuna heard Kaede think out loud.

"That's weird." She heard Ku-Fei muse.

"Quiet down, everyone." Takamichi told them all calmly. "He isn't sick."

_**"Then where is he?"**_

_**"Yeah. Why isn't he here."**_

_**"Is he alright?"**_

_**"This doesn't sound good."**_

_**"Oh gawd. Did he get hurt somehow?"**_

_**"Negi can't get hurt. Stop being silly!"**_

"He isn't hurt either." Takamichi calmed them down again. He took a deep breath and went on, "_Negi has taken his leave from Mahora."_

_All of the girls just froze in place after hearing the man speak._

_Some of them started laughing like it was some joke._

_Others had a different reaction, narrowing their eyes at the teacher._

_A few began lowering their heads with tears building in their eyes._

_**"W-WHAT?"**_

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_Argh! Well this took longer to release than I intended it to. My luck just seems to be taking a turn for the worse for me. I've managed to get around the whole virus issue temporarily. Right now I'm trying to find a way to permanently remedy the situation, but until then I'll take what I can get. By some horrible twist of luck I managed to sprain my ankle on the run earlier last week, but I got better...then my older sister suffered the same fate a day after I got back to walking again. There must be some sort of mysterious force at work...ahem. Getting away from my issues, I can't wait to get into the action part of this series after writing all of that sap. Of course, we still have more of Mahora to come in the next chapter. Negi takes a break from the main character spotlight and gives it to Setsuna for a chapter. Here we get to see her conflict with Mana, Asuna's gradual recovery from shock, Konoka's ruin, the beginning of Takane's road to being a true dark mage, and more. The class of 3-A hits a little pit of despair, and Kotaro finally comes to claim his part in the series, and it's safe to say that he'll be pissed at Negi's decision to leave._

_Well, things are finally going to kick up a notch, and the first Dark Mistress is much closer than you guys think. The gates to the world of vice is open, and Negi has just taken his first step into an exciting new world...that journal entry is still pretty mysterious, huh?_

_**New Characters...**_

_**Thanks to SpiritBlade for the new addition to the character line up...**_

_Benedict Kain (Dark Lord)_

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

_**Question Time...**_

_**Q.**Can Negi defeat Fate now? Will he be appearing in this at some point?_

_**A.** Fate will be making an appearance._

**Q.**_From a level from 1-10 how angry would you say Mana is going to be? And what will Negi exactly have to do to gain her forgiveness?_

_**A. **He'd probably have to get down on his knees and plead for forgiveness...and polish her collection ofr his entire life...and some..._

_**Q.**Are any of the girls going to receive Pactios? For some reason I see Negi using them as a means to bribe the Dark Four and Mana into forgiving him..._

_**A.** You'll see. It won't be a pactio though..._

_**Q. **Will any other girls from 3-A be turned into vampires?_

**_A. _**_Wouldn't be FVA if it didn't happen._

_**Q. **if Eva was turned when she was 10 or so years old... than does that mean she never had a menstrual cycle? or hormones?_

_**A. **Looking at it from a realistic standpoint, I'd say that wouldn't be possible at that age unless I wasn't paying attention too well in my old biology classes. I'm hoping Ken will answer that before I do..._

_**Q. **Who is lil' Mika?_

_**A.** It said news reporter..._

_**Q. **I saw your profile. Will Eva and Melciah have a romantc relationship in this fic?_

_**A. **It turns into something darker than that as it progresses. Oh, that's in the past by the way._

_**Q. **So Lucinda-chan had an obsession with Evangeline? Is she a lesbian?_

_**A. **Well, that's putting bluntly. I'd say she plays both sides._

* * *

_**Well, take care.**_

_**Traingham...**_

_**P.S: **The school year is back on it's way. I'm gonna get busy..._


	5. In his Absence

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**Chapter Five: The Process of Understanding **_

_By Traingham_

* * *

There were screams, and explosions outside of the cave that the second troop took shelter in. Blades crossed, and magic spells ripped across the battle scarred lands as a quill scraped along the pages of a scarlet journal. It was the color Camilla loved most, although she was not sure if it was because of her thirst for blood or because of the color of her hair, which mystified the villagers of her former home. She was a beautiful young woman, graceful, but clumsy on occasion. She had eyes the color of silver, and her blood red hair was short, sometimes curling around the frame of her lovely face. She was adorned in crimson armor with plated spaulders that stretched down towards her elbows and around the underside of her arms to keep her from being vulnerable to any underhanded attacks. Her neck had plated armor as well to keep her from being beheaded easily as it was the most effective way to dispatch of a vampire. She was an admired leader despite the fact that she lacked the experience that other commanders had over the years, and she was an exceptionally talented swordsman yet despite all that, she had her flaws. The activity she was partaking in now was one of them.

_Forgive me father. It is not you whom I think of as I find myself in the madness of all this violence that threatens to consume me, but my mother who I have no memories of since the moment I was aware of my own existence. Is it because I feel that I need her protection? _Camilla looked out to the war that still raged on beyond the darkness of the cave walls before she allowed the quill to proceed in it's glide. _Though I am ashamed to think it, I believe that my heart is indeed filled with the terror of death; that my life could end at any given moment. Forgive me for thinking so lowly of your abilities, but your humanity will not be able to shelter me from the evils of this wondrous yet terrifying world that I have gradually found myself falling deeply in love with._

"Camilla." A soft, feminine voice called her attention, but she payed no mind to it.

_I think to my mother, wondering if she was a beautiful, powerful vampire. I find myself wondering if I could ever live to compare to this vision that I have turned to time after time to illuminate the darkness in my heart when I feel all hope slip away, but alas, it is just a vision. _The young commander lifted the quill from the line she was writing on to heave a sigh. This subject always managed to dampen her spirits somewhat. It was something she lived with since she was a little girl, however, the hopeful vision of how her life would be if she finally met the enigmatic figure that her father spoke of to her refused to die within her heart._ Perhaps this is why I put myself in such danger without hesitation whenever Mistress Beatrix sends me out on the field of war. Could it be that I am searching for my mother in her likeness? Gripping my blood stained blade, my feelings tell me-**--**_

"Camilla!" She was forcibly shaken free from her thoughts when two hands gripped her shoulders and rattled her like a corpse. She clutched her journal to her chest to keep from dropping it and turned her head to regard her fellow knight. The young woman who interrupted her thoughts was a beauty with long silver hair that fell over her shoulders with storm gray eyes. She was slightly taller than she was with a figure that even she envied, and an aura that tended to catch others off guard with it's mischievous nature. Her name was Lucinda McVicar, and her past was a mystery. She wasn't sure where she had come from, or how she was placed in her troop. The vampiress was easy to get along with although she had a tendency to violate others personal space, but Camilla would have to admit that there was something otherworldly about her.

"What is it, McVicar?" Camilla asked, sounding slightly annoyed at being pulled away from her scribbling.

"My apologies, commander." She said, taking her hands off her shoulders. "This may be a little out of line for me, but I'm sure that I speak for everyone else when I say that we'd appreciate it if you refrained from that book of yours. We've been taking cover in this cave for too long already. The enemy might already be planning to ambush us." At her words, the other seven midians nodded. Amongst them was a young woman who appeared to be stoic by appearance, but was known to behave in an irritable manner most of the time. Compared to the other knights, she was slightly shorter in height, though many had come not to see it as something to make fun of. She had snow white hair that fell just below her shoulders, and dull blue eyes that were quite intimidating. Her name was Seraphina Elman, the discipline in the group, and was known to keep Lucinda in line whenever the mischievous vampire felt the urge to do something inappropriate, which to her dread, tended to be often.

Beside her was a timid looking girl, younger than the others, who tried her best to keep a courageous front. She was slightly taller than Seraphina with brilliant eyes that never seemed to remain a constant color, and crimson hair that was done into a short pony tail, although it wasn't nearly as blood red as Camilla's. Her name was Morrigan Slade, one of the white mages of the troop. She was easily unnerved by many things, adding to the cuteness factor that never failed to catch the attention of her male and female colleagues. This was a characteristic that Lucinda preyed on most, much to Morrigan's woe, yet she was quite overprotective of her. It was something she appreciated despite the older mistress's questionable reasons for treating her in such a way.

The last notable knight of the armament was a proud, and silent young woman who stood near the darkest corner of the cave. She was a golden haired beauty with crimson eyes that twinkled like rubies in the shadows of the stone shelter. There was a regal aura about her, speaking of a higher importance than she posed, and yet one would not be able to tell by talking to her. She was a quiet individual who rarely spoke to others. Her name was Reina Tepes, a knight who specialized in the art of lance fighting over swordsmanship. Her abilities as a fighter were awe-inspiring, as was her mastery over the arts of magic. While not as experienced in the art of war as Camilla, and Seraphina, she showed much promise. Her bond with the others were lacking, however. Some even felt uneasy, fighting with her by their side. Something about the young Tepes felt rather off.

"Hmph." Camilla stashed the book away in a utility holster and grabbed her sword that was leaning beside her. She walked toward the end of the cave, looking down to the gorge below. There she watched as a battalion of vampires engaged twelve frenzied _'wolves'. _It was a risky face off. When lycan entered that phase of their transformation, they were nearly unstoppable until they exhausted themselves. Their fur spreads along most of their body, and their ears, and tail extend in size until they resemble the were beasts that humans come to fear in theri nightmares. Only a fully matured lycan can reach such a state though. At their adolescent years, which lasted for four hundred or more years at most, they could only go as far as increasing the capabilities of their basic human form to substantial levels beyond their natural superhuman abilities. It was rare to come across the soldiers that her fellow brethren were facing below.

"Get ready everyone." She ordered her fellow knights. "We're going to assist below." She looked over her shoulder to see the others shoulders their swords, and get in position to rush out of the cave. Morrigan stepped out of the way of the offensive line, clutching her staff to her chest with a bit of fear in her eyes, but she did her best to appear otherwise. Lucinda patted the younger vampire on the head playfully before looking to Camilla, licking her lips hungrily.

"Get in formation." Seraphina hissed at the silver haired knight.

"Hold off the steam, eh?" Lucinda quipped back at her before doing as she was told.

Camilla took a moment to look at Reina who had her staff positioned behind her back with one hand while the other was kept free, twitching at the ready to grip the shaft of her weapon for the engagement ahead of her. She nodded at the quiet woman before turning her attention back to the opening of the cave, gesturing for the others to advance. "Charge!" She heard the others yell out in compliance and lead the charge, running out of the cave and skidding down the side of the gorge with her right hand closed around the hilt of her blade. One of the wolves sensed them approaching and alerted some of the others to engage them.

_They're attempting to deal the first strike._ Camilla inwardly growled before she kicked off from the side of the cliff and unsheathed her sword as she passed beside one of the opposing knights. The frenzied wolf let out a roar of pain as the blade sliced through it's arm, severing it completely. Lucinda and Seraphina closed in on the injured beast, taking its left and its right before slicing right through its waist, up through it's shoulder joints, passing on opposite sides. The hulking beast howled in agony, but instead of falling to the ground in a pool of blood, all of its fur got pulled back into its body and it shrunk to the size of a human before reverting back to its normal form. It was an armored woman, covered in her own blood from the wounds she sustained. Her role was finally over, but what she was capable of becoming in the heat of battle was frightening.

"One down!" Lucinda laughed, twirling her blade from side to side in a stylish fashion before poising it for another attack.

"Don't wind down yet!" Seraphina barked at her before rushing into the fray. Another frenzied wolf rushed at her, slashing at her with its razor claws, but she jumped back before it could shred her to pieces. She was knocked on to her back, however, when the wolf dropped into a stance and caught her in the face with a flip kick before landing back on it's feet and leaping in the air to come back down on her with a finishing blow that would have ended her if it made the landing, but her savior came in the form of Reina as she leaped at the falling wolf from its side and left it howling with a clean slice at its mid-section from her lance. Seraphina rolled to the side quickly to dodge the wolf swiftly as it crashed to the ground beside her, and got back to her feet to deflect a slash from an opposing lycan knight that attempted to slay her in her moment of distress.

_We need to make it to the rendezvous point on the other side of the gorge._ Camilla thought fiercely, kicking down an attacking knight before lifting her blade over his chest and plunging it through his breast plate as though it wasn't even there. He let out a final scream as she pulled back her blade, and she ducked under a slash from another knight, answering the female lycan's attack with a rising slash that split her face in two, spraying blood at Camilla in a scarlet shower. She grabbed a hold of her dying enemy's shoulder and shoved her aside before rushing forward toward another frenzied wolf. Reina ran beside her, lunging at the wolf before she did and twirled her lance at her side before thrusting it deep into the wolf's abdomen. It reacted quickly, grabbing a hold of the shaft of her lance and swinging her into the air with it, but she countered quickly with a dive, plunging the edge of the blade into its back.

"Camilla." Reina said the commander's name in a silent cue for her to take over as she ripped her lance away from the wound she inflicted on the wolf and kicked off its back with a flip to engage an opposing knight that rushed in to aid their comrade.

_"EGO dico super they phasmatis of flamma ut eradicate procul meus mos. Iter itineris of abyssus flamma!_" Camilla cried out, slicing at the air with her blade. A void of flames opened at the tip of her blade as she pointed it at the hulking beast, and a vortex of fire engulfed it before lifting it into the air and exploding in a scorching fury. "_Quod permissum meus rabies exsisto notus per bellum pango of Zeus!_" At her cry, an electric pulse ran through her blade and she attacked the burning wolf with a rising slash that let out a crescent beam of thunder, slicing through its mid section. By this point the wolf was howling in pain, ready to be finished off. She kicked off from the ground, leaping high in the air over the dying wolf and pointed her hand at it with a final spell, _"Permissum aula of silenti etc clamor per rabies! May vesica of Thanatos incidere vos asunder!_"

A dark ray exploded from the ground under them and swallowed them both before Camilla's blade burned with an eerie flame that trailed behind her swift movements like the tail of a fox. She passed through the wolf with a slash, and back with another until she was delivering a flurry of attacks from all sides. When she was done, she landed back on the ground and stepped out of the dark ray before closing her hand into a tight fist. The dark ray separated into millions of different, piercing beams in response and zeroed in on the wolf like raining arrows, killing it in an instant death.

"Annihilated." She muttered before turning to her battalion and ordering, "Regroup!" At her command, her knights left the remaining wolves to the battalions that had already been engaging them and got into formation with her. The sound of loud marching caught her attention and she glanced over her shoulder to scout out the source.

_Another wave blocks our path. _The commander thought to herself as she looked up ahead at the other side of the gorge where they were supposed to meet with Mistress Beatrix. A large formation of lycan knights marched forward to engage them almost as if they understood their objective, and were doing their best to keep them from completing it. "Very well. We'll just have to dispatch of them first."

"Are we going to engage them or take another path?" Seraphina asked her commander, shouldering her blade. Her armor was a hint of crimson, clearly stained from their earlier engagement. There were also claw marks on her right arm's, armored plates. "Although it would be much quicker to break through them, their numbers appear to be overwhelming now with the loss of some of our knights."

"Taking another path would be much wiser." Camilla reasoned, stroking the claw shaped pendant around her neck. "At the same time, however, it would allow the possibility of being surrounded by the enemy if we're not careful."

"That would be too boring." Lucinda yawned at the latter suggestion before placing a hand on Camilla's shoulder, leaning in close. "I say we engage them." The vampiress suggested, pointing at the opposing battalions with her sword in a suggestive fashion. The look in her storm gray eyes vexed Camilla to no end. There was seriously something odd about this woman, and why did she always have to get so close whenever she spoke to her?

"And when were you placed in command?" Camilla questioned the silver-haired mistress, turning her head to regard her with narrowed eyes. She found that this way always managed to get Lucinda to ease off.

"A bit edgy, aren't we?" Lucinda asked only getting a growl in response. "Is there a reason why you're so irritable right now?" She took her eyes off of the crimson-haired commander to look over her shoulder when Morrigan rushed to them, clutching her staff shakily. The timid girl looked almost pale as a ghost as she asked with a waver in her voice, "A-Any medical attention n-needed?"

"Chin up, girl!" Lucinda scolded her. "What kind of presence are you trying to keep by looking like that? You'll never gain respect from others looking the way you do now."

"...I guess n-not, then." Morrigan grumbled, turning away to tend to the other knights with her fellow white mages.

Camilla looked between the opposing battalions that were advancing towards them, and the sultry McVicar before asking, "How are you able to make light of this siuation? Do you realize our predicament?"

"Commander, is there another way around this?" Seraphina asked, readying her blade if necessary. The interaction between Lucinda and Camilla seemed to irritate her. She shot Lucinda a stern look, and the silver-haired mistress offered her an apologetic smile in return that felt less than genuine. "We can attempt to find another path across the gorge, however-"

"They're attacking!" At the cry of one of the knights, Camilla and the others scattered to the side, barely avoiding a thunderbolt that shot down from the sky. The earth they had been standing on before the blade of thunder touched down suddenly cracked and rose, twisting into a tower like formation before it hunched over like a living creature and sprouted arms. It arched its back, slamming its hands upon the ground and grew legs before getting on its feet and looking down upon Camilla's battalion. It looked at its new found hands as if to contemplate what actions it would take before clenching them into large fists and letting out a roar that caused everyone to wince. They were now squaring off against a stone golem.

"A summon?!" Camilla gasped before crying out, "Clear the area! Blades will not be of any use against this colossus!" She narrowed her eyes and sneered when she felt a bead of sweat trail down the side of her forehead. _Keep your composure...hold still to your courage. This beast will not bring an end to you. You still have much more to accomplish._

"Now this is intriguing!" Lucinda smiled, shouldering her long sword as she stroked her chin with her other hand, with a smart gaze.

"Speak for yourself!" Seraphina yelled at her fellow knight as she held her blade over her head. _"EGO precor vobis oh deity of unda pro vestri mos est infinitus. Addo mihi quris ut EGO may labefactum thy inimicus!"_ At her cry a chilling whirlwind whipped up before her, and a large spear of ice formed in an instant, ready to do as she willed. She looked to the titan with calculating eyes as it raised its monstrous right arm to crush the fleeing knights and whipped around in a circle, gesturing for the spear to launch at when its arm was high enough to expose a weak joint. The spear managed to run right through the titan's right shoulder, severing its extremity successfully, but the loss of its arm didn't seem to do much in slowing the titan at all as it appeared to regenerate its lost arm by means of the other chunks of rock lying around on the battlegrounds.

"Curses..." Seraphina growled before looking to Lucinda. "Have you got any ideas?!"

"The only way to lay that titan to rest would be to kill the summoner." Lucinda answered, looking to the knights surrounding a young man holding a staff. "That would involve getting through all of them, however."

"At this rate we'll all be killed by that thing." Camilla said grimly._ No! Put those thoughts to rest! If you lose hope, then you've lost the battle. I will not fail you Mistress Beatrix. As a commander of your knights, I will do all in my power to lead them well. _She watched as her knights jumped out of the way as the titan attempted to crush them underfoot, and gripped her blade furiously. "I can't let this continue."

Lucinda saw the commander prepare to charge and gripped her arm quickly. "Don't do what I think you're going to do." She fixed her commander with an intense gaze as her grip on her arm got tighter, but Camilla stared her down with just as much intensity, if not more.

"Unhand me!" Camilla jerked away from her hold and rushed off in the titan's direction. Lucinda and Seraphina immediately exchanged a glance and did the same to stop her from facing the summon alone, pumping their legs for all they were worth to apprehend their commander, but they came to a halt when the ground beneath them started to quake ominously. They tried their best to keep their footing as the world around them rocked, but the tremors were so violent that they lost their balance and fell to the ground. Camilla's luck was no better than theirs, finding herself falling to the ground as well before a frozen stalagmite ripped forth from the ground before her very feet as if to keep her from going any further. She felt her skin crawl with goosebumps as the frozen tower left a chilling mist in its wake, rolling out in all directions.

_What is this?!_ Camilla crawled away to safety quickly to keep herself from getting caught in the destruction of the spell. _Who is the person casting this spell?! _She looked over her shoulder quickly to glance at Lucinda and Seraphina only to find that they were just as at a loss as she was. They watched as the frozen stalagmites trailed in the titans direction before they surrounded it, keeping it from wrecking anymore havoc...and then there was silence. The opposing, lycan knights all grouped together around the summoner on alert, turning their heads in every direction to find the source of the unexpected attack only to look back at the titan when a final stalagmite shot forth from under it and impaled it, running through its chest and lifting it in the air like a tribute to the sky deities. A cloaked figure suddenly appeared, standing on one of the frozen stalagmites and jumped down, sliding down in Camilla's direction with perfect balance before coming to a stop in front of her, their cloak billowing with the chilling winds that accompanied the mist.

Camilla pointed her blade at the cloaked person's face threateningly from her spot on the ground, demanding, "Who are you?!", but the person placed the back of their hand against the side of her blade and shifted it away from them before grabbing their hood and pulling it back to reveal the face of a young woman with long blonde hair, and emerald green eyes. She must have been a teenager with her youthful appearance, and her subtle smirk told Camilla that she was indeed, a vampire. There was something about her that was vaguely familiar though. She wasn't sure where she had seen her face from before, but she was certain that this was not their first time meeting for some odd reason.

"Fancy us meeting again, Camilla." The young woman chuckled. "I guess it's only natural that we would come face to face again on the field of war."

"You still haven't answered my question." Camilla persisted, getting back to her feet. She was surprised to find that she was slightly taller than the mysterious girl. From the floor she appeared to be an imposing figure. "Who are you?"

_"I am but a wandering soul who treads the valley of the dead."_ The young woman replied. _"My name is, Evangeline McDowell."_

**_--_**

"Urgh!" Negi sat up in bed quickly, clutching his head as the pain in his cranium gradually dulled away. He looked around quickly to find that he was still in the room that Nekane had shown him into for the night, and sighed in relief, wiping away the sweat that covered his face. That dream...no it felt so much more real than a dream. It almost felt as if he was one of the knights in Camilla's battalion, witnessing all the chaos first hand.

_It felt so oddly familar to me even though I'd never taken part in it...I understood her thoughts, her fears, and her hopes. _His eyes widened slightly when he came to understand who the woman in his dreams truly was. "She was the person who wrote that diary entry I found in the library...but why was it there? More importantly, did the entry cause me to experience all of that?"

_"I am but a wandering soul who treads the valley of the dead."_

"Evangeline...she's connected to it somehow..." The young magi muttered. "She looked so much...younger than she does whenever she usually disguises her true form. I wonder if there's a reason for that as well-"

_"Mmmm." _Negi gripped the sheets to his chest when he heard a soft moan come from beside him. He looked over to his side slowly to find a young woman curled up at his side, fully clothed in jeans and a t-shirt. It was-

"A-Anya?!" Negi almost fell off the side of the bed at realizing who it was. "When the heck did she get into my room?!"

* * *

_**-F-V-A-**_

* * *

**_--_**

**_Mahora Academy..._**

**_--

* * *

_**The class of 3-A quieted down to a silence when Takamichi walked into the class with his suitcase in hand. Their attention on him lingered for only a few seconds as they set their sights back on the entry way to the classroom in wait of the person they were sure would follow, but after finding that no one was going to come through it, they all started to feel a little more than confused. Kazumi was naturally the first person to investigate.

"Um, Takahata-sensei?" Kazumi spoke out. "What are you doing here?" Her questioned seemed to pierce the barrier of silence that had its hold on all of the girls. There were murmurs of a similar nature from the rest of them, roused by the photographer's question.

"Where's Negi?" Misa asked, crossing her arms.

"Did he call in sick?" Konoka inquired, starting to feel worried about the young magi's condition. He wasn' t sleeping in the dorm when they her and Asuna woke up, so could he have possibly been with Evangeline? The chibi-vampire didn't come so perhaps she was tending to him at her residence. Then again, the possibility was a little doubtful when considering her cold nature, but Negi should have been close enough to her by now to allow an exception. She saw Asuna put her head down from the corner of her eye. Negi held true to his word after all.

"He's gone..." Asuna whispered to herself, giving in to the darkness that comforted her within the shelter of her arms. _Last night he was trying to give me a proper farewell, and all I did was mock him, but how was I supposed to know? Why would he leave us?_ She felt her eyes begin to burn under her eyelids, and a tear slipped down her cheek, tickling her skin. _I wish I could have another chance. If only I had known...I would have held him tight and kept him from leaving._ Asuna let out an audible sniffle and Konoka placed a hand on her head, confused at her friend's sad mood. She looked around at the others in the class when there was a loud stir.

_**"Where is he?"**_

_**"Maybe we should go visit him."**_

_**"So that's why he was acting so weird in class yesterday! He was sick!"**_

_**"Man, I'm relieved."**_

"He seemed just fine last night." Kaede thought out loud.

"That's weird." Ku-Fei mused.

"Quiet down, everyone." Takamichi told them all calmly before they could all get too ahead of themselves. "He isn't sick."

_**"Then where is he?"**_

_**"Yeah. Why isn't he here."**_

_**"Is he alright?!"**_

_**"This doesn't sound good."**_

_**"Oh god. Did he get hurt somehow?"**_

_**"Negi can't get hurt. Stop being silly!"**_

"He isn't hurt either." Takamichi calmed them down again, but he could tell that he allowed his voice to get a little harsh that time because they all appeared to be a little dismayed. There was still a lingering anger from his meeting with Negi and the headmaster. He couldn't believe that old Konoe allowed the young man to take his leave of the campus to easily. He gave them no information about where he was going or how he intended to achieve his goals successfully. The only information he was willing to give was his purpose, and even that only served to unsettle Takamichi more than he had already been when Negi told him about his decision to leave.

_Setting off on a journey to free Evangeline McDowell._ The white clad teacher thought to himself, breathing in deeply to quell the rising heat in his chest. _That is a goal that every other mage in the world would be more than willing to keep him from fulfilling. _There was something to be said about a person willing enough to break the seal on a woman who was feared by the world for murder, extortion, tyranny, and a few other crimes. She was an _Elder_ _class_, Dark Mistress. Anything that related to that sort was something that the Mage council wanted nothing to do with, and anyone who was willing to assist an evil of that magnitude would be considered a threat, no questions asked. What Negi wanted was criminal.

_"It grieves me to say that Negi Springfield has taken his leave from Mahora."_ Takamichi finally announced to the girls. Their reaction to his words didn't come quickly, but he expected as much. Normally such news wouldn't be taken so easily. Some of the girls simply blinked a few times and began to laugh although the white clad gentleman could tell that they weren't from amusement, but rather from shock and disbelief. A few other girls, most notably Kaede and Ku-Fei, simply smiled, taking his words for nothing more than a joke. There would be no logical reason for Negi Springfield to just suddenly leave in the middle of the academic year with no explanation to them. If he had plans then he would at least make sure to clear things up with his students so that they wouldn't begin to worry in his absence.

Some girls, however, took the news seriously. They looked at him blankly before he could make out the twitches in their lips, and the irritation in their eyes as they did their best to fight back the tears that began to sting them. They began to sink in their seats and lay their heads down upon their desks in an attempt to keep themselves from being too noticeable to the others, but that only got the opposite effect, worrying those who were still under the impression that this was all just a farce. The only students who didn't seem affected in a similar manner were Setsuna, Chachamaru, and Mana, although in the lovely marksman's case, that appeared to be something of a startling nature. The naturally calm, and collected, Mana Tatsumiya had come to resemble that of a young woman who'd been scorned.

"That's ridiculous." Konoka said in a light hearted voice, catching Setsuna of guard.

"Ojou-sama..." Setsuna felt herself rising for her seat, reaching out to the young woman. _This is going to be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. She appears to be in denial._

"Negi is probably just with, Evangeline." She stood up from her seat and looked at everyone with an assuring smile. "I'm sure of it."

_"Don't get your hopes up too high, ojou-san."_ Setsuna darted her eyes toward Mana when the lovely marksman finally decided to speak. "Our young teacher has left this campus."

"How could you be...so sure?" Konoka was visibly shaken.

"Some call it intuition." Mana lied, brushing a strand away from her face.

"...Intuition comes close to nothing in this situation." Konoka retorted. "I know him a lot more than you do." Her words managed to get Mana's right eye to twitch. The fierce woman crossed her arms, directing an intense stare at the gentle girl. Setsuna tensed, watching the tension between both women build. This was beginning to look a little dangerous. "Negi wouldn't do this to us."

"Konoka..." Asuna tugged at Konoka's skirt gently. "She's right."

"What do you mean?" She looked almost horrified to hear the red-head.

"It means that knowing a person can come close to nothing sometimes." Mana reversed Konoka's words upon herself with a cruel chuckle. "But, don't let that get you down. Learn from it."

"Captain." Setsuna rose up from her seat. "I'm going to ask you to refrain from speaking to the ojou-sama."

"Protecting her from the truth will do her no good." Mana asked, smirking at the swordsman with a deadly edge.

"Don't attempt to pull her into what angers you." Setsuna growled. "If sensei left, I'm sure he had a good reason for not telling us."

"You'll find that the circumstances were a little different for me." The dark skinned beauty retorted, standing up from her seat. She narrowed her eyes at Setsuna, the smirk turning into a frightening smile. "Of course, you might know a little bit about that."

Setsuna felt herself take a step back, asking, "Excuse me?"

"You and Negi were quite close." Mana replied. "He undoubtedly spoke to you before he took his leave."

_The rest of the girls began to turn their heads in the swordsman's direction..._

_I never expected this to happen. _Setsuna inwardly winced at the glistening eyes that were glaring at her suspiciously. Well, if Mana was attempting to have her back down then she was in for some disappointment. "I sense some resentment in you, Captain. Does it anger you to know that Negi may have been more comfortable confiding in me rather than turning to you?" She watched as Mana's lips formed a perfect line. If looks could kill, Setsuna's dirge would be playing at any moment. "If you really must know, he left you because he loved you enough to look past that intimidating exterior you place around yourself. He wanted you to live your own life."

"_...Touche_." Mana offered Setsuna a bow before pointing a finger at her and imitating a quiet gunshot. "Well, this is getting depressing." She picked her bag off from the floor and slung it over her back before walking to the doorway to take her leave without sparing Setsuna another glance.

"So you mean it's true?" Setsuna turned away from the doorway to turn to the source of the voice behind her. There Chisame stood behind her desk doing her best not to allow any tears to come from her eyes. "That little...he...he really just left?"

"...Yes." Setsuna answered.

"And he told you?"

"...He did..." At her answer, the others gasped. The net idol on the other hand stepped away from her desk and walked up to Setsuna slowly.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" She asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"He requested that I didn't." Setsuna's answer elicited confused responses from all of her classmates.

"And _you_ made no attempt to stop him?" Chisame's voice was a near growl now. She heard one of the chairs from behind her scrape against the floor, and turned to find Konoka reaching out ot her hesitantly.

"Chisame-" Konoka wanted to hear nothing more of this.

"I want to know!" Chisame cut her off, fixing Konoka with a piercing stare before looking back to Setsuna. "What did you do?"

"I let him go." Setsuna answered, staring down her classmate. "There was no point in attempting anything. He made up his mind." Both girls turned to Nodoka when the sniffling girl asked, "Did he tell you where he was going?"

"Maybe we can catch up with him!" Haruna made a desperate suggestion.

"We can't let him go alone!" Makie joined in, her eyes red with irritation. "How far could he have possibly gone?!"

"No one is going anywhere." Takamichi interjected, slamming his hand on the top of Negi's desk. "You all still need to complete your senior year. What do you think will happen if you're all absent for the remainder of it?"

"Takahata-sensei, you can't be serious!" Konoka cried out. "What if he never comes back?!"

"We'll have to pray that he comes back safely." Takamichi answered, simply.

"That's cold, sensei." Misa scowled at the older man.

"I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!" Ayaka exploded, ironically getting up from her seat. "WE MUST FIND NEGI-SENSEI!"

"Calm down!" Fuka ran to the class president to hold her down.

"It's too late to do anything!"

"HOW COULD YOU TWO STAY SO CALM?!" Ayaka threw her arms around like a mad woman. "NEGI S-SENSEI IS...Is...is...hwaaaaaaaaaah!" The blonde girl broke out into tears loudly, trembling as if she would fall over at any second. Her outburst seemed to infect the others with her sorrow as they began crying loudly too, the twins included. Setsuna looked around at the mass of low-spirited girls surrounding her for a moment before her eye darted to the door. Mana's words appeared to put her on the spot so she knew she would have to expect some sort of hostility from the others girls later, but for now Ayaka seemed to put a stop to that temporarily.

_...For now I will see what I can do about the captain. It is unlike her to be open about her feelings...especially in such a malicious way. The only way to settle this bitterness would be to face her alone, otherwise this may get worse._

* * *

_**--**_

_**The Tatsumiya Shrine...**_

_**--**_

* * *

The shrine was empty, which was unusual for the time of day since students and citizens from the city would usually come to pay their respects. The wind blew through the reeds, offering no song for anyone to listen to. Leaves danced along the ground, swaying back and forth, and crows gathered upon the branches of the trees surrounding the shrine as if awaiting a performance. Setsuna took note of all of these things as she walked past the red arch with light feet. She could already tell that she was not welcome, however, at the same time there was an expectancy that called for her attendance. Someone was watching her intently...

_"Bold of you to come so quickly."_ Setsuna looked up to find Mana sitting upon the roof of one of the shrine houses that stood before her. The lovely marksman was no longer dressed in her school uniform. Rather, she had on one of her combat uniforms, but no rifle or pistols at her stead. The way she clenched her left fist, resting upon her lap, however, told the swordsman that this meeting was not to proceed without ill intent. Setsuna scraped her right foot back against the stone ground to get into a stance in preparation fro what was to come.

"You appear to be in a foul mood." Setsuna started off, intending to draw Mana forth with her words. "To see you behave in such an abnormal manner, earlier in the class was a refreshing change, however. I can see that sensei even has ways of drawing emotions from you as well."

"Yeah," Mana dropped down from the roof, landing on her two feet without so much as a sound. "Well, you'll find that they are best hidden." With her last word, she rushed forward, jumping into the air and gripping Setsuna by the hair when she was within reach. Setsuna attempted to defend herself, but she found that her reflexes amounted to nothing as the marksman wrenched her head up with a jerk before delivering a knee to her chin. The swordsman found herself stunned, barely managing to keep her footing when her heels touched the ground again. She expected Mana to rush in for another struck while she did her best to reorient herself, but to her surprise nothing followed.

"Hmph." Setsuna looked back at Mana, forcing a grin. "Well put. It would seem that you have been affected by his absence."

"His betrayal is more like it." Mana said, watching as Setsuna began her counterattack, charging forward. She dodged the first kick that Setsuna sent rushing at her head, ducking under it, but the swordsman was quick to follow up, kicking off the ground with the foot that she kept her balance on, and turning her roundhouse into a spin kick that connected with Mana's jaw. She staggered to the side, allowing her loss of balance to work to her advantage as she fell, and pressed her hands against the ground to jerked her hips in a circular motion to whip her heel directly into Setsuna's stomach. "You see, Negi and I had an agreement." Mana went on as Setsuna doubled up to get air into her lungs. "But of course, you knew that already since he told you-" Mana rushed forward. "-am I right?!"

"But-" Setsuna acted quickly, grabbing Mana's arm when she was in reach and ramming her shoulder into her midsection before using the leverage to throw the young woman over her back, and slam her to the ground. "-that is where you're wrong! What you had with Negi was no agreement. He never even agreed to take you with him. You forced yourself into his plans so that he would have no choice but to let you come."

Mana quickly got on one knee, whipping around with a leg sweep that took Setsuna down to the floor. When she was down, Mana jumped back to her feet and held her leg in the air for a swan kick to the swordsman's stomach. "Heh." She looked down at Setsuna, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "You appear to be angered by that." She brought down her foot, only to come down on concrete as Setsuna rolled out of the way and got back to her feet.

"I think you're reading me-" Setsuna rushed forward and went in to deliver a flying roundhouse, forcing Mana to duck. "-completely wrong!" Setsuna followed up quickly, whipping around to face Mana to rush in for a jab to the stomach, but the marksman dodged to the side and delivered an elbow to her chest. "Urgh..." The crow demon staggered back, gritting her teeth as she clutched the spot that the other woman's elbow connected with.

"I think not." Mana said, shaking her head. "You were probably furious to hear about it." She smirked. "Negi and I traveling together while you simply waited here with the others for our return." She walked toward Setsuna, forcing her back a few steps before surprising her by rushing in without warning to deliver a palm shot to the same spot she connected her elbow with. Watching Setsuna's face construe with pain made her smirk go cold. "I could imagine how you must have reacted."

_No doubt...she is the best of us all._ Setsuna thought, smiling in Mana's face. "Maybe you're right. Perhaps I was satisfied to know that you missed out on it just like the rest of us, but tell me, captain. Why would you have gone with him?"

"Odd question." Mana kicked back on a small pebble beside her foot to let it rest on her boot, and tapped it in the air so she could catch it with one hand. "Why are you interested to hear about it?" She appeared to contemplate the small rock, examining it with her eyes carefully.

"It's no secret that you and Negi are very close, but you see..." Setsuna stood straight. "...that is what makes this all so very confusing. I recall you telling me once, that there were no men on your battlefield. What made Negi so special, that you were willing to go with him without so much as a charge?"

"Well, you must have someone who's changed you."

"Hm?"

"It isn't good to play coy." Mana began, throwing the pebble into the air before catching it again, and so on. "When you ask a personal question, the only way to move forward is to be as open as the person you want to hear answers from. So let's begin again." Mana began to circle Setsuna slowly, causing her to tense nervously. The pebble in her hand might as well been labeled as a sniper round. "You have someone who's changed you, don't you?"

"...The ojou-sama..."

"Less formal than that..."

"Konoka." Setsuna found it hard to say the girl's name.

"That person becomes significant...different from the others..." Mana paused again, behind her. "Someone worth protecting. Of course, you have no choice because you've pledged yourself to her, but that doesn't matter. You would still devote yourself to her regardless of the conditions placed upon you."

"...I see."

"I wanted nothing to do with him when I first met him. I just believed him to be some simple boy, labeled a prodigy because of his relation to the great _'Thousand Master'._ I treated him just like anyone else, indifferently. When he faced Evangeline, I was impressed by his courage. When I took note of how he cared for his students, I was impressed by his devotion. He wasn't what I expected, that much I could understand, but he went even further beyond that every time I believed that the line was drawn...so my curiosity got the best of me." Mana walked to the porch of the shrine house and took a seat. "I decided to talk with him. He was nervous...understandable. I'm not exactly the girl that is easy to get close to or understand, that being my fault, but he didn't allow that to get in the way for long." Mana stopped when she realized how tense Setsuna still was. "You can take a seat if you want."

"...Okay..." Setsuna nodded, walking to the rail that kept visitors from falling off the shrine mountain. She eyed the hand that held the pebble cautiously.

"He got very comfortable around me, grasping my hand without my permission, and treating me like any other person he knew. He saw me as a friend before I even realized it and that...struck a chord in me. You see, I hate contact with anyone. I don't like to form bonds with others because I find it to be pointless, and a waste of effort. A friend can be there one day, only to be whisked away another. Trust is a burden, and love is no different from the bonds of a shackle. I always believed that much, but Negi shook me to no end. I found myself accepting him as more than my teacher, or a simple nuisance. I liked him." Mana flicked the pebble away, launching it in to the distance to an unknown destination. "So I made the mistake of accepting my feelings, and treasuring his friendship. Nights became lonesome, and days boring. I started inviting him over to spend time with me, counting on his naivety to look past my reasons and simply look to his own. It worked well, and days together became weeks to months, into years. _'Like'_ started to become another word. Naturally my fear that it would someday end started to plague me...and suddenly the night came where he told me that it would."

"He told you about his plan to leave." Setsuna went ahead of her.

"Yes." Mana nodded. "He was going out into a world of danger...for another woman, no less. I wanted to go with him for various reasons, but most of all, to be his protection." Mana took off her gloves and rested them on her lap gently. "This isn't the first time this has happened to me." Her words made Setsuna gasp softly. "I loved a man long ago. I wanted to prove myself to him, be of assistance to him, and be the only woman in his eyes." The marksman chuckled cynically. "Of course, I was just a naive little girl at the time. These things happen, but we were inseparable. He was my magister, and I, his minstra. It was a wonderful dream while it lasted, traveling together from one battlefield to another until he refused me one night. No matter how much I tried to convince him to take me with him on that one mission...he refused me, but I persisted and persisted until he finally submitted to me, telling me that he would allow me to accompany him."

"A lie?"

"Of course it was. It was for my own safety, so he left, KIA." Mana replied. "I was lost after he was gone. I couldn't understand why he would choose death over me. That was all that I could process at my young age, and although I began to understand as I got older, I still felt bitter. I never wanted to experience it again...and yet look at me now, left in the same situation as before after I promised myself that it would never happen again."

"I...had no idea." Setsuna said in an apologetic tone.

"Spare me the sympathy." Mana sighed. "...I pledged myself to him."

"Y-You did...WHAT?" Setsuna felt her eyes pop from their sockets. "D-Do you even understand-"

"I do." Mana replied quickly, a hint of irritation in her voice. "But I don't think he did." She stood up and opened the door to the shrine, looking over her shoulder at Setsuna. "Imagine how it feels. I'm sure you of all people would understand." Mana gripped the edge of the door fiercely. "So now I wait..." Her eyes narrowed until they were slits. "...I'll lie in bed every night, thinking about him...about his meetings and partings with others, and the decisions he'll make _without me_...the battles he'll fight _without me_...the victories and inevitable losses he'll suffer _without me_...and who knows? Maybe my fears will return to plague me, and he'll never be able to return, but I won't accept it. He will return, mark my words, he will...and when he does-" The murderous expression that graced her lovely face in class returned with a sharper edge in her eyes than ever before.

**_"-My wait will be over."_**

* * *

**_-F-V-A-

* * *

_**"She's going to kill him when she has him in her sights again." Setsuna said to no one in particular, getting off the last step that lead her away from the shrine. She was aware that Negi's leave would bring out a lot of negative energy from the girls, but now this was beginning to feel a little perilous. She didn't think that things with Konoka were over yet. The girl didn't appear to be very accepting of the news regarding the young magister. That would only mean that things were bound to get worse with her. Chisame 's reaction was quite interesting, considering the type of person she was, but that was to be expected since Negi managed to break the walls around her. Kaede, and Ku-Fei were probably feeling a little guilty for not being able to catch the tell tale signs from his attitude before he was able to slip away. Negi played them well with his final visit to them on the mountains, however, they would have to admit that he was kind enough to leave them with a night of laughter. On the other hand, what Setsuna had just experienced not long ago told her that there was a bitterness that ran deep. The welcoming committee that would greet him when he returned would not be happy.

_I should head to the ojou-sama's dorm. I must be by her side in her time of need._ Setsuna narrowed her eyes as she walked on through the walkway that lead back into the main street of the campus. _Sensei...what sorrow you inspire..._

"Setsuna-nechan!" Setsuna's eyes widened at the call for her. She looked further into the distance to find Kotaro running to her with an uncharacteristic look of worry on his face. She could already tell that word might have reached him already.

"Kotaro?" Setsuna said his name questioningly, coming to a halt when the dog demon stood in her way. "What's wrong?"

"It's Chizuru-nechan!" He told her, frantically. "S-she won't stop crying! I d-don't know what to do!"

_He really cares about her..._ Setsuna thought with a brief smile.

"She keeps on saying Negi's name whenever I ask her what's wrong!" Kotaro went on, his hands trembling lightly. Setsuna wasn't sure if it was fear, or suppressed anger. "Where is he?!"

"Why?" Setsuna asked.

"I don't know what he's done, but I want to see him!" Kotaro narrowed his eyes fiercely. "He should know better than to make any woman cry!"

"And what will you do when you find him?" Setsuna asked, leaning toward him.

"I...don't know yet." Kotaro replied, finding himself cowering slightly under her gaze.

"Hm..." Setsuna turned away from him, placing her hands on her hips as she placed some distance between them. _Negi...you told me not to tell any of the girls, however...you will need what help you can get. Perhaps I may be able to inspire an ally for you. _"Negi left the campus last night." She heard Kotaro gasp in surprise, and turned around to face him sadly. "He didn't inform me of where he was heading or when he would return."

"W-What? That's...that is..." Kotaro opened and closed his mouth a few times, resembling a dying fish for a moment. "I don't understand." The dog demon walked to the rail beside them slowly, and leaned against it with a look of complete disbelief. He could not believe what he was hearing. Negi left Mahora? Why wasn't he informed about this before he left? Why didn't the young magi alert him about his plans to leave the campus? "He told me nothing." Kotaro muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What would make him do this sort of thing without telling me?! He isn't supposed to go anywhere without me unless he gives me the rematch I want!"

"You aren't just mad because he left you behind?"

"AGH!" Kotaro pulled his hair with flames exploding in his eyes. "THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!"

"Well then, you're getting nowhere by screaming at me." Setsuna told him with a frown.

"H-huh?!" Kotaro tried to calm himself.

"He went on his journey for Evangeline." She saw Kotaro clench his teeth tightly at the very mention of the vampiress. There was clearly bad blood between him and the dark girl. She couldn't blame him. Evangeline had that sort of effect on everyone who met her. "If you really want to know what's going on, then I suggest you take up your problems with her. I'm sure she would be of more help to you than anyone else."

"Is that so?" Kotaro growled, his nails biting into the flesh of his palms. "Heh." The young man grinned viciously before turning his back on Setsuna to walk away, saying, "It's about time I payed that dark witch a visit. I'll have her tell me everything!" With that, he became nothing more than a blur as he ran off to have his meeting with the dark mistress. Setsuna could only hope that her plans would follow up successfully.

"...Now..." Setsuna proceeded to walk again. "I'd best check on the ojou-sama."

* * *

**_-F-V-A-_**

* * *

_**--**_

_**Asuna and Konoka's Dorm...**_

_**--**_

* * *

There were no signs of a struggle when Setsuna entered the dorm, it's door left ajar for reasons that the young swordsman had yet to find out. She ventured further, finding Asuna sitting in a lone chair beside the small ladder that lead up to Negi's small accommodation. The futon was left untouched, showing no traces of being slept on the night before. The shelves that were once filled with old spell books, and magical artifacts were bare, and the group photo of Nagi and the Crimson Wings remained where it always had been, sitting on the night table beside the work desk against the wall. The warmth that once accompanied the sight of the young man's room was stolen by his absence, and the sight of the broken young woman only made it worse. Setsuna wasn't sure why, but she felt very unwelcome.

"Asuna?" Setsuna called to her friend softly, approaching her cautiously.

"...What?" Asuna pulled her hand away from her face, and tilted her head to face the swordsman, tear stricken. "You want to know where Konoka is...huh?"

"Asuna...that is beside the-" Setsuna stopped herself. "What's wrong?"

Asuna regarded her with disbelief. "What's wrong?" Asuna stood up from her chair, kicking it onto it's side as she did. "You were in class this morning, weren't you?! What do you mean what's wrong?" She cried out, throwing her hands in every direction. "He's gone! He is gone! That is what's wrong! We have no idea where he's gone, why he's gone, or how to get a lead on him! Takamichi won't even let any of us off the campus now!"

"Calm down, Asuna." Setsuna told her soothingly, getting closer. "You aren't the only one who feels this way."

"You're telling me that you do?" Asuna asked her with an edge in her voice. "Do you feel anything at all?" She questioned accusingly, pointing at her.

"Of cour-"

"Do you really?!" Asuna cut her off before she could answer. "Because you didn't seem all that affected. What makes this even worse is that you let him go! You...you could have done anything, and you just let him leave." Her last words left her mouth, sounding strained as if her very soul was poured into those words. Her hands were clutched to her chest, and her eyes looked swollen from hot tears.

"Asuna..." Setsuna narrowed her eyes. "Don't just assume these things."

"Wha-"

"Listen to me-"

"You're-"

"I said, LISTEN to me!" Setsuna raised her voice, flaring her nose. "I shed what tears I had last night. I tried my best to change his mind, but he refused me. Yes," Setsuna nodded, jabbing her index finger to the floor, "I alone was given the chance to see him off from Mahora, but do you really think that made the pain any less? NO, it killed me to let him go; to see him fly away into the darkness. Even so...I decided to come to class, knowing that this would come down on my head later! Look, I don't know if the ojou-sama will forgive me. I don't know if anyone else in the class will forgive me, but the last thing I want right now is more enemies."

_Asuna bowed her head, and remained silent for a few awkward minutes._

"...I'm sorry." Asuna apologized. "I guess it was unfair of me to just snap at you...I mean, I should be the one everyone's angry at."

"What do you mean?" Setsuna furrowed her brow.

"Negi...he came to me late last night...or in the morning...I don't know. All I know is that he was trying to thank me for everything that me and Konoka had done for him-" She sniffled. "-And I just acted like a jerk to him. I told him to just go...that I would see him in the morning, and he just kissed me on the forehead and left. That was the last I saw of him..." Asuna backed up against the wall, hunching over. "I could have stopped him..."

"Hey..." Setsuna went to her, supporting her so she would stand straight. "Nothing you could have told him would have done anything to stop him. Don't beat yourself up over it, okay? Now, where is the ojou-sama?"

"She...uh..." Asuna wiped her eyes, clearing her throat. "Went to Evangeline's house."

"Evangeline's house?" Setsuna's eyes widened slightly. That didn't sound very comforting. _Unless my bets are wrong, I don't think she would be in such a pleasant mood after her own disciple left her._ "Why would she go there?"

"She's convinced that Negi is staying there." Asuna replied.

_Still denying it, hm? Her hopes are too high._ The swordsman thought grimly. _Bringing them down would crush her to pieces, and I doubt that McDowell would do it gently. I need to reach her qui-_

"Hello?" A sudden call from the door cut off her train of thought.

"Oh god..." Asuna gasped. "It's her."

"Ms. Goodman..." Setsuna said in a whisper. "Things just keep getting better." She said sarcastically. The swordsman stepped away from the red-head, and headed for the door to find Takane Goodman standing at the doorway dressed in a light, black sweater, and regular jeans. Setsuna inwardly cursed herself for neglecting to close the door when she came in earlier. This was a confrontation that she would much rather avoid.

"Oh, Setsuna-san." Takane greeted her, her eyes scrolling around suspiciously. "It's kind of dark in here. Did something happen?"

_Yes, though I wonder if telling you would be such a good idea, considering the nature of your reactions when it comes to subject in question. _The crow demon thought, placing her hands on her hips. _Then again, keeping this from you would probably only make things worse on us.. _"Where is, Mei?" Setsuna asked, steering the blonde magistress away from the subject to gather her own wits. With what had just transpired with Asuna, she was still a little hot. She didn't want to make any mistakes, talking to this woman.

"Back at the dorm." Takane replied.

"So you left her behind to see, Negi, alone?"

"Well, yeah..." Takane crossed her arms. "What's with that tone? Really...what's going on?"

"Negi..." Setsuna paused, looking deep into Takane's eyes. "He isn't here anymore."

"When is he coming back?" Takane asked, seemingly unaffected by her statement.

Setsuna chuckled at her response before becoming quite serious again. "I don't know, Ms. Goodman, because he never told me."

"He's always disappearing." Takane grumbled before turning to leave, saying, "I'll come back later, then."

"Takane!" Setsuna stopped her in her tracks.

"What?" She asked quickly, startled by her sudden call.

"Negi left the campus, do you understand?" Setsuna watched her face go through an array of emotions. "We don't know where he went or when he's coming back. That may be in weeks, months...I don't know how long."

"...Excuse me?" Takane asked furrowing her brow in confusion, coming closer to Setsuna as if she didn't hear her clearly. That certainly had to be the case with what she was hearing. Negi, gone? Why would he do such a thing when she came all this way to visit him? How could he be so insensitive? "He did...what?"

"You heard me." Setsuna told her. The swordsman saw Takane flinch for no apparent reason before she clutched the side of her head in what she considered to be pain. A moment later, however, she appeared to be fine. She cocked her head to the side, crossing her arms in an odd fashion that made Setsuna quirk a brow. What was up with this woman?

_"Well, what an interesting turn of events."_ Takane said, her voice taking on a rather sinister tone. Setsuna backed away when she also noticed a sudden sharpness in her eyes that appeared to be unnatural. _"So, did he tell you why he left?"_

"Ms. Goo-

_"Did he give you a reason for his leave? That is all I'm asking you for."_

"...No." _This is beginning to seem a little risky._

_"Ah-"_ Takane held out her hands to keep her from saying anything else as a dark grin crossed her lips. _"Say no more. I know exactly who to consult in this situation. As much as it pains me to say it, there is only one woman that, my precious, would confide to in a matter of such enigmatic properties."_ The blonde woman smirked viciously, and turned away once again to take her leave. Only this time, when Setsuna called out to her to stop her, she ignored her and walked on, closing the door behind her. There was truly something amiss with the way that unfolded. Takane didn't appear to be herself.

"But I think I know who she's talking about." Setsuna said grimly. _With Kotaro, and Takane heading to meet with Evangeline, I don't think I want the ojou-sama to be caught in the middle of all of it._ She rushed to the window in the living quarters, and opened it before climbing onto the ledge and kicking off to take flight. Right now, time was precious.

* * *

**_--_**

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

**_--

* * *

_**

"Konoka-nechan...calm down." Kotaro held the crying girl in his arms protectively as he looked up at Evangeline, sitting on the porch rail of her residence, still donning the pajamas she had on when she bided her disciple farewell. There was a cruel smirk present on her face as she looked down on them. He already knew that she was the cause of Konoka's tears, and he was assuming that she was behind much more. "Hey, you got anything better to do than pick up people?!"

"Pick on her?" Evangeline questioned his accusing words, placing a hand upon her chest in mock innocence. "I did nothing of the sort. She wanted the truth and I gave it to her, that's all. If she couldn't handle it, then that is her fault alone for being so persistent on hearing it."

"The truth, huh?" Kotaro smirked, letting go of Konoka to step forward. "You know, now that you mention it, I've been dying to hear it."

Evangeline smiled, baring her lethal fangs. _"Choose your words carefully boy. You might find that I'm in a mood that would bring me pleasure to fulfill them."_

"Where is Negi?!" Kotaro demanded to know, clenching his left hand into a fist. "I know that you have something to do with his disappearance so just fess up already!"

"What he's doing should be of no concern to you, mutt." Evangeline's eye took upon a piercing quality that made the young demon sweat a little. He had to admit that he was feeling just a little nervous about this...alright, maybe a little more than a little. "Besides, he decided to leave by his own will. Don't get me mixed up with his foolish hopes. " She retorted.

"It is my concern, got that?" Kotaro growled at her, taking another step forward. "Now tell me already, before I make you talk." He cracked is knuckles, causing the dark girl to laugh much to his building anger. There was just no fazing this girl, was there? It was really starting to piss him off, how indifferent she could be to the feelings of others.

_"Child..."_ Kotaro narrowed his eyes curiously at her unexpected name for him. Her voice took on an older tone that he was completely unfamiliar with. "Where Negi is heading is a place that you will not be able to follow. You see," The cruel smirk returned to her lips, bringing him back to the cold reality of who she really was, "He's about to step beyond the point of return. When he does that, the harder you try to close the distance between you and him, the wider the gap will become. Heh, you may even end up becoming enemies in the process."

"W-what?" Kotaro furrowed his brow in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you and him are far too different from each other now." Evangeline replied cryptically. "And you're far too weak to ever understand that."

"Weak?!" Kotaro snarled at her.

"Why, yes." Evangeline nodded, untouched by his anger. "At your level, you would only perish before you even get to meet him."

"My level?" Kotaro chuckled, smirking at her cockily. He kicked off from the ground to jump towards her, and attacked without warning. "Let me show you just what level I'm a-huh?" He blinked when his fist went right through her face. _Dammit! I should have see this comi-_ _"GLARGH!"_ All the fluids in his mouth came flying out when he suddenly felt a knee crash into his stomach. He only had enough time to turn his head and look at Evangeline before she grabbed him by the neck and tossed him to the ground like a rag doll.

"KOTARO!" Konoka cried out his name, but she didn't even dare to move when Evangeline pointed at her.

"Don't get involved, little Konoe." The vampiress told her sternly. "Just get going."

"But, Eva-"

"He brought this upon himself." Evangeline cut him off.

"You...heard her!" Konoka gasped when Kotaro snapped at her, pushing his palms against the ground to get back on to his feet. "Get out of...here before...you get hurt too!" When she was hesitant to move, he slammed his fist into the ground furiously, and yelled, "Are you deaf?! Run back home!"

"F-fine!" Konoka screamed angrily before doing as she was told. They both watched her until she was out of view before turning back to each other.

"Very bold of you to get back up, mutt." Evangeline cackled, her eyes taking on a frightening glow. "If you know what's good for you, you'll crawl back to that sweet girl who's taking care of you with your tail between your legs. I'm sure she'll be happy to find her puppy back at her doorstep, alive."

"You just don't know when to shut up, huh, wench?!" Kotaro said defiantly before getting into a stance. He charged at her again, taking the stairs the second time, and pulled back both of his fist before thursting them in her direction to let out a wolf spirit to attack her. Evangeline flexed her fingers into claws, and slashed through it before following up with a roundhouse that connected with the young man's jaw, hard. The force of her kick sent him crashing through the stair rail, and skidding along the ground before coming to a halt in a dust cloud.

"It's called, having the higher ground, dummy." Evangeline told him, descending the steps casually to approach his fallen form. She stopped when his head was at her feet and leaned down to speak to him. "See what I mean? Weak, and stupid. The boya would have at least forced me to block an attack from him by now. You...all I've done is dodged, and broken through your attempts to lay a hand on me. You expect to meet him at your level?"

Kotaro clenched both of his hands tightly, clawing the ground. "Shut..." He started out with a growl before he tried to surprise her with an uppercut to the face. "...UP!" He yelled out his final word, but he yelped when she caught his fist in one hand.

"You just don't know when to give up, hm?" Evangeline asked, squeezing his hand until it cracked audibly. The way he winced at the pain brought an evil smirk to her lips. If he wanted to be around for her to vent her anger, then he was more than welcome. She was really in the mood to let out her frustration ever since Negi left her.

"No, I do-_HONT!"_ Kotaro cried out in pain when she planted a fist into his stomach. He doubled up in pain for a moment, but he surprised her when he raised his head again to grin at her, blood dripping from his nose, and mouth. "That...all-" He coughed. "You...got?"

"Heh." Evangeline smiled at him genuinely before delivering a final kick to him that sent him crashing to the ground again. "Fine." She sighed, turning away from him. "Go and get yourself killed, mutt. If you want to find him, I'm sure all you have to do is inquire about his father. Where ever that leads you, I'm sure you'll meet up with him at some point." Evangeline smirked darkly, away from his view. "And if that doesn't work, just listen out for any disturbing news from the wolves. If I know Negi well enough, he'll be the talk of the century." With that, she walked away from him and headed back into her home, leaving the beaten young man to simply lay there.

_...He began to laugh..._

_"Well...that was...easier than...I thought it would be."_

* * *

"Well, that should keep Negi busy." Evangeline said to no one in particular as she closed the door behind her. She took a moment to lean against the door and look up to the ceiling with a sigh. "...That stupid kid." She mumbled before another smirk crossed her lips._ Now this is unusual. I don't think I've ever been met with this feeling before. _

"Sorry, but I don't remember scheduling any appointments." Evangeline said amusedly, looking to the dark young woman who was sitting on her couch, legs crossed and a tea cup in hand.

_"My apologies, but this was a bit urgent." _Dark Takane replied, placing her cup down on the table, beside the tea platter that Chachamaru left for the both of them. The gynoid must have anticipated as much. _"That was quite some commotion outside."_

"Oh, just another fool." Evangeline said, taking a seat in the chair across from the couch that the blond magistress was sitting on. "Like the one I'm staring at now." The chibi-vampire served herself a cup of _'Bloodline tea'_, and took a sip before asking, "This is about Negi, isn't it?"

_"Correct."_ Takane replied with a nod. _"I trust that you know where he is."_

"Wrong." Evangeline replied as she closed her eyes, catching the other woman off guard. "I only have an idea."

_"...Tell me."_

"Why?" Evangeline asked, opening one eye. "So you can become a nuisance to him?"

_"Watch your mouth."_ Takane growled.

"No, no, little brat." The vampiress wagged a finger at her. "I think you should watch your mouth. You see, depending on how I see fit, I could help you out or kill you for trespassing."

_"Ah..." _Dark Takane suddenly felt a little nervous from hearing that.

"Now, as much as it bothers me to say this, you would be more qualified to seek out your master than that boy I just dealt with out there." Evangeline explained, setting her cup down. "Negi made you one of us, so you can walk the world he is about to immerse himself within without much trouble, however, you're just not ready."

_"Nonsense." _Takane scoffed. _"Nothing will keep me from finding my master."_

"Wrong." Evangeline corrected her. "Quite a few things will get in your way, and quite frankly, you're just too weak to overcome them. You'd be walking to your death."

_"...And you propose..."_ Takane trailed off for her to speak.

"I'm proposing nothing." Evangeline answered, almost making the dark young woman face fault. "Get out of here." She got up to leave.

_"Wait!"_ Takane reached out to her. _"Tell me where he's gone to!"_

"Are you dense?" Evangeline asked, crossing her arms. "Leave little girl...the sight of you disgusts me."

_"McDowell...you must let me go to him."_ She stood up and approached Evangeline. _"I wish to be by his side."_

"Hm." Evangeline stroked her chin, fixing the blonde magistress with an intense stare. "...I supose I can prepare you for him."

_"E...Excuse me?"_ Dark Takane's lip twitched. _"Did you not hear me?"_

"I could ask you the same thing." Evangeline countered. "You're not ready for him. You'll be dead before you even get to see your precious master's face." She smirked deviously before going on, "So you're going to have to make a rather serious choice."

_"...What...do you mean?"_

"Your pride or your master, girl. That's what I mean." Evangeline explained. "I'll leave you to find out what I'm saying. I'm sure it really isn't that hard."

_"But...but..."_ Takane began to tremble. _"I-I would never!"_

"Suit yourself." Evangeline laughed before turning her back on her to walk away. Takane watched helplessly as the vampiress made her way to the stairway leading up to the second floor, and placed her hand on the rail to ascend. This was wrong...this was ludicrous. She would never stoop so low...but what else could she do? Sure, this girl was her biggest enemy, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but...

_What choice do I have? What other option is left to me? I can just stand here like a fool as my only chance to be reunited with my master slips away. Yes, I wish to do more than simply see him. I want to punish him, and the best way to do that would be to let him die alone...but at the same time, I can't bear to be away from him. I love him. I would do anything for him. He is my master...and I must do all that I can for him as his fledgling. _Takane's arms trembled as she looked up to Evangeline, already at the last step towards the top, but she calmed herself, clenching both of her hands into tight fists. She narrowed her eyes, tears burning her eyes at the humiliation. She bit her lips, puncturing it at the frustration that built in her chest. This was it. She had no other choice.

_"Evangeline McDowell!"_ Her call stopped Evangeline. The dark mistress simply leaned on the top rail, looking down at her with an expectant smirk. She knew that she had her in the palm of her hand, and it infuriated Takane.

_So this is how it feels to swallow one's pride..._ Dark Takane grinned scornfully. _...I hate it. Know this, Evangeline McDowell...I loathe you._

_"Very well." _Takane said, her words coming out forced. _"I will...give myself to you..." _Takane's legs trembled violently as she got down on one knee. She clenched her teeth as a maniacal gleam swirled in her crimson orbs. She held one arm over her chest, bowing her head in respect as hot tears slipped down her cheek. _"Do as you see fit with me so that I may be able to reunite myself with my precious..."_

"Yes...go on." Evangeline prodded her on, her smile growing wider. "Address me, _incompetent_."

_"My...M...Ma...Master."_ Takane finally choked out.

"That's a good girl." Evangeline chuckled. "I think I might actually feel a little bit of respect for you now."

_**"**We'll begin tomorrow**."**_

_"What_?!" Takane whipped up her head to look at Evangeline, crying out,_ "No! We must start today!"_

"I think you've already forgotten your place." Evangeline told Takane, silencing her at once. "However, if you want to begin so badly, then we'll start tonight." Evangeline smirked before she said her next words.

**_"We'll being with flying lessons."_**

* * *

**__**

To Be Continued...

* * *

_Well, surprisingly I managed to get out another chapter before the end of the month. That's pretty good considering all of the hell that I had to put up with the past few weeks, and the other project I've been working on. I wanted to elaborate a bit more on the 'Nexus War' that I introduced at the beginning of the chapter, but you'll come to understand why it stopped there as the story progresses. Yes, Camilla is the writer behind the diary entry that Negi found in the library, and as you can see, she plays a major roll in Evangeline's meeting with all of the young warriors whom eventually rise to become Dark Lords, and Mistresses. This should shed more light on the mysteries in the last volume, as well as flesh out the relationships that each mistress and lord had with Evangeline, and each other._

_...Melchiah will make his appearance as well, for all who voiced their disturbances about him. It'll clear things about his relationship with Eva-chan._

_So let's see...Mana is sharpening her knives, and polishing her guns for Negi's return, Konoka is almost at the point where she'll crumble into little bits, class 3-A turns against Setsuna, and Takane is in for a world of pain under Evangeline's wing. Still nothing from the resting Dark quartet, but we'll let them sleep for a while longer. Kotaro is on his way to claiming his place in the world of darkness that Negi is about to venture, and the Dark mistresses of the present are waiting for the young vampire, but first he has to clear things with Nekane and Anya. Well, I'll get to that..._

_

* * *

**-F-V-A-

* * *

**_

_Sweet Heavens has joined the team as the magic advisor, which he pointed out a lack of in the last chapter. I hope I made up for the a little bit in this one. You'll find more of their presence in future engagements..._

**_--_**

**_New Characters..._**

**_--_**

**_Thanks to Spiritblade for his contribution..._**

**_'Matilda Ragnarose'_**

_**Ansera, The First and Forsaken Angel **(That's creepy...)_

* * *

**_--_**

**_Question Time..._**

**_--_**

_**Q: **I_ was thinking, if I'm remember correctly in volume 3 of Negima when Eva first appear where she said if she can suck the blood of Nagi's relative then she can break free from the curse so that why Negi was the target in the beginning.

_Then didn't that mean that in your story where Negi have been drain by eva quite a few time, shouldn't she already be able to get the heck out of the campus if she choose?_

_**A:** Well, while that may be a plausble way to go, I personally think she meant that she had to suck him of his entire essence, meaning til he was simply dead. Sure, by this point she might have reached enough to have her fill, however, considering the circumstances of the story so far, that would suck. No pun intended..._

_**Q: **Just to know for how many chapters will we be in "The World of Vice" before returning to Mahora?_

**A: **_The fic will be divided in two sections. The first one will chronicle his meetings with the mistresses and wolves before he returns in December for a bit of rest with the girls. (Refer to chapter 22, FVA) The second part gets much more intense. As for how many chapters...I'd say...ten...or maybe..._

**Q: **_Out of curiosity, what academic level are you?_

**A: **_College level. Man, feels good to type that..._

**Q: **_How strong would you say negi is now? Will he be learning that dark spell that makes his skin black from the manga?_

**A:**_ Yeah, definitely. I wouldn't dare end the story without it._

**Q: **_Could you please, please, PLEASE, think of another word or phrase or thing to say as a general utterance of suprise?_

**A: **_Hm, stuck with me for a while after I read an Eva fic back in the day. Well, I'll try. Heh._

**Q: **_Will Evangeline get a little piece in this or will it focus entirely on Negi now that hes left Mahora?_

**A: **_She's such an awesome character. I would hate to leave her alone._

**Q: **_How big of a role will the lycan play in this fic? I'm dying to read your portrayal!_

**A: **_I'll make them significant. Negi will get in pretty deep with them._

**Q: **_Chachazero...Negi...Bed...WHEN?!_

**A: **_...Chill out..._

**Q:**_Are we going to see any of the new girls from the current chapters?_

**A: **_I don't know yet..._

**Q: **_Will you be adding anyone new to Fate's crew? Will they make an appearance in the series too?_

**A: **_I'd rather leave them as they are. I'll throw them in though..._

* * *

Take care,

**Traingham...**


	6. Accept Me?

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**Chapter Six: Time with the Family **_

_By Traingham_

* * *

It had been quite a while since Negi had been back to his hometown, so there was expectancy for the natural cycle of change. With the repair, and expansion of the town, and the presence of new students, memories of the attack so long ago had been buried under the new found life that had settled in. Fresh new faces were there to greet the young magi in his late night arrival as well as old ones. It was a welcome change from the dreary atmosphere that he had to live with when things were slowly picking up again after the incident. What surprised the fresh vampire, however, was how unaffected he was by all of it. He expected to be plagued by memories of his long gone father, and yet he slept without as much as a glimpse of the _'Thousand Master's'_ face in his dreams. Perhaps his time with Evangeline somehow made his heart stronger, or perhaps even colder. It was hard to tell whenever he attempted to associate such thoughts of that nature with the dark girl.

_Shifting to said vampire; he stirred in his sleep, his figure concealed in faint shadows..._

"...Camilla..." Negi mumbled, opening his eyes to take in the dim view of his room. There was a bookshelf stationed near the door of the bedroom filled with books from corner to corner in alphabetical order, all due in thanks to Nekane's handy work. A tall lamp stood in the left corner, resembling a hunched person with Negi's mage cloak hanging from it. A study desk faced him from the other side of the room with a small light installed on its corner to assist in book reading. Books were laid along its surface; some left open while others were ajar, with pens and pencils within them to keep marks on important pages. Unlike twelve years ago, there were no pictures hanging from the walls. Almost all of them were burned in the attack long ago.

It was an interesting feeling to awaken in the morning with nothing scheduled for the day. There was no sense of urgency, or promises of punishment to pull Negi out of the warmth of his covers. There was no need to iron a white dress shirt to accompany the suit for the day, or a duffel bag waiting beside the bed prepared with the sweat suit, and water bottle for the grueling, early morning routine, lovingly organized by an easily irritated, child-like mistress. Absent were the snores of his lovely roommates, only to be substituted by the moans of the wind in its attempt to break through the small passages of the closed window of the room.

"…This sure is unfamiliar." Negi mumbled to himself, pulling the covers off of his body to sit up on the side of the bed. He felt his feet touch the floor, and he placed his hand upon his forehead with a sigh. Naturally, Nekane and Anya would expect him to have aged so he had no choice but to remain in his older disguise even as he slept. He could never be too careful, and words could never be so true when you had a friend who felt that it was simply fine to sleepwalk into your room uninvited. That would have been neglecting to mention that the door to, said room, was locked. There were also times during the night when he heard the door creak open and close minutes later. Although the young magi had not bothered to see who the person was spying on him, he had a pretty good idea of who it might have been.

_There was a knock at the door..._

"Um, come in." Negi told his visitor, masking the frown that had been on his lips with a casual smile. He watched the door open to reveal Nekane Springfield in all of her radiant loveliness. She was a platinum, long- haired beauty with unusual, gray eyes. She was somewhat tall in stature, with a slim figure that was rather hard to make out in the dark clothes that she was almost always seen wearing. By nature, she was a gentle woman, cheerful, and a klutz most of the time, much to Anya's constant worry; however, she was a very responsible woman. She was also responsible for taking the place of Negi's mother in her absence, playing the role of a loving sister as well, although it was sad to note that she was partly the reason that Negi had found himself acting more and more like an adult to care for her in return.

"Good morning, Negi!" The older woman greeted joyfully before she proceeded to walk to his side of the bed. Negi locked eyes with her, and a shiver of fear ran through him before he found himself in her clutches, losing what air he had in his lungs with each loving squeeze she gave him. Negi gradually found himself coming to an understanding of how Kotaro felt whenever he was unfortunate enough to cross paths with Chizuru. "Oh, it's so great to reclaim this feeling!" She said, her voice cracking.

"Nekane..." Negi managed to get out her name from the warmth of her chest.

"...To have you in my arms again..." Her voice wavered.

"...um...hey..."

"...it just makes me..." Nekane paused to sniffle. "...so happy!"

"I-" Negi pulled away from her arms, surprising her. "-really appreciate the warm greeting, but do you always have to break down like this when you see me?" He cringed when she balled her hands upon her lap, blinking silently with small globs of tears at the corner of her eyes. If there was another flaw about Nekane beside her well known clumsiness, it was how emotional she was when it came to matters of love, and Negi could tell that he already went about this wrong with the way she reacted to his words.

"Is it wrong for me to miss you?" She asked, blinking a few more times. "I mean…it's been three years."

"No, it's nothing like that but...um..." Negi found himself at a difficulty for words, staring back at her for another minute or two before he simply gave up. "G-go ahead then."

_**GLOMP**_!

"You know," Nekane began, holding the hapless vampire securely in her arms. "When Anya heard that you were back in town, she rushed here to see you."

_Believe me, I know._ Negi inwardly quipped, thinking back to last night. "Oh, did she?"

"Yeah, but since you were so tired from your trip down here, I told her to come in the morning." Nekane explained, meaning she had nothing to do with the fact that his red-head colleague somehow managed to break into his room. Did that mean that she got through the front door without her knowledge as well? That sure said a lot about the security around this place, didn't it?

_What a creepy thought..._ Negi quirked a brow suspiciously. "Wow. I guess I better go see her today, then." Negi feigned some ignorance.

"Actually, she's waiting for you at the dining table with breakfast." Nekane replied, letting go of him. She ran one of her hands through his hair, and ruffled it a bit with a girlish squeal of delight. "You've grown to be so handsome!" Negi leaned away a bit when an uncharacteristic grin crossed her lips before she whispered, "She's going to do flips when she sees you."

"I can imagine..." Negi mumbled.

"Well, get dressed!" Nekane told him, walking to the door to take her leave.

"I know." Negi sighed. "I'd have the sense to do that."

"Sorry." The older woman apologized, stifling a laugh. "It just feels good to say that again."

"Hey, I'm not-"

_**Slam...**_

"-staying here...for that...long." Negi finished, finding it silly since she already closed the door behind her before he could finish.

"Well, isn't she just perky?" Negi turned his attention to the night table beside his bed when Chachazero spoke. The puppet stretched out her arms above her head, and let them fall at her sides with a little swing before placing a hand on her hip. "Are you sure she's your sister? She's kind of touchy."

"She's always been that way." Negi replied. "We're not blood related though."

"Ah, that blood relation trope..." The puppet remarked in an amused tone. "I've heard that one before."

"When you say that, so many things come to mind that shouldn't." Negi said, dully. "Well, I better get dressed."

"You should." Chachazero nodded. _Of course, that comes after undressing._ The puppet stayed silent as he unbuttoned his pajama shirt, and she got down on her knees and leaned forward excitedly when he took it off to reveal his toned abs. It wasn't until he reached for the band of his pajama pants that she cried out, "Whooo! Take it off!"

Negi's eyes widened when he realized that she was watching intently, and he backed up quickly, hitting the bed post, and fell over it with a flip that sent him hitting the ground with a loud thud. Since he ended up on the other side from the fall, Chachazero couldn't see him.

"Hey! You okay, master Negi?"

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

"Please warn me next time." Negi told his familiar as he closed the door of his room behind him with one hand, while rubbing his side with the other. After getting back up from the floor, he tossed his shirt on top of Chachazero to keep her eyes from wandering over him. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that she could see through it. "I keep on forgetting that-ah..." Negi stopped himself before he could say something that he'd regret, but the puppet was quick to pick up on it, punching him in the forehead.

"Yes-thank you master, for informing me that you forgot my sex." Chachazero growled sarcastically. "You sure know how to speak to a woman."

"I'm sorry!" He apologized to her quickly, rubbing to spot on his forehead that her small hand connected with.

He left the hall to enter the living room, and made his way to the dining room to find Anya sitting in one of the seats with a dish of eggs, sausage, and mushrooms in front of her. There was a small basket of toast set at the center of the circular, wooden table as well. Nekane walked in from the kitchen with another plate with similar contents in her hands, and placed it in front of the seat across from the red-headed mage before taking notice of him, and smiling. Anya, noticing that the blonde woman was looking at something, turned her head in Negi's direction and regarded him with an emotionless gaze. Yep, good ole' Anya.

"Come!" Nekane encouraged him to come closer as if she was talking to a cautious kitten. She pulled back the seat she picked for him, and patted the back rest, saying, "Take a seat!"

"Th-thanks." Negi said nervously, doing as he was told. When he was settled in, Nekane pushed his seat forward, almost thrusting the poor young man into the table, and grinned mischievously as she stepped back to get a better look of the picture she painted. Finding Anya and Negi sitting together at the breakfast table after being apart for so long brought...brought...t-tears to her-

_Geez, she's crying again._ Negi shook his head when he saw a tear roll down her cheek. This was starting to get old rather quickly. "This looks good." Negi complimented the crying chef to perk her up again.

"R-really?" Nekane asked, seemingly pulling a handkerchief from out of nowhere to dry her eyes.

"Yeah." Negi nodded, picking up his fork. "I can't wait to have some of this."

"Then enjoy, you two." The woman said light-heartedly before she walked to the kitchen.

"H-hey!" Negi reached out for her.

"What?" Nekane stopped before she reached the entry way to the kitchen to look over her shoulder, oblivious to the young man's discomfort at her leave. "What's wrong?"

"You're not going to eat with us?"

"Why, of course not." She replied innocently. "Someone has to clean the pots and dishes, you know." And with that, she left both teenagers to their own devices. Of course, that was just another way to say that she spited him, but one might say that what happens next speaks for itself.

A pregnant silence followed the woman's leave as Negi turned back to his dish, and Anya continued to stare at him without a word. Praying that you became invisible suddenly didn't seem like the best plan for the young magi, seeing as how the red-head never took her eyes off of his still form. Before long the tension just seemed to get so high that the young magi found it much harder to breathe, so he decided to take the high road and say, "Hi."

"And hi to you, too." Anya responded, her expression darkening somewhat. "Took you long enough, idiot."

"Me, idiot?" Negi asked, dropping his fork. Why was it that hearing those words from her mouth gave him such a start? "Why am I an idiot all of a sudden?"

"You come back home, and the first thing you do is go to sleep?" Anya picked up her knife and stabbed her egg, allowing the yolk to gush out from the bubble. Negi tried not to think about what she might have had in mind as she did. "Did you forget that you have friends living around here?"

"Hey, I came all the way from Japan!" Negi argued. "Wouldn't you be tired after a trip like that? Besides, you broke into my room shortly after I fell asleep anyway."

"Ah..." Anya turned crimson. "So w-what?"

"How old are you?" Negi cried out, sounding violated.

"Oh, look at, Mr. Sensitive!" Anya yelled back at him, pulling the knife out quickly, causing some yolk to slap the vampire across the cheek. She scowled when he merely picked up his napkin and wiped it off without a word of protest. "This is coming from a guy who spent three years sleeping in the same room with a bunch of girls who were four to five years older than him!"

"You're exaggerating!" Negi retorted, his eyes practically popping out from surprise. _D-Did she read all of the letters that I sent to Nekane? _"How did you know about my living arrangements anyway? I don't remember telling you anything about that!"

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME CRAP!" The red-head exploded, her eyes taking on frightening infernos. "I got no letters from you, no calls, and no frickin' emails!"

"Aye-"

"But did you get mine?" Anya spat, pointing her steak knife at him dangerously.

"Like...when was that? Two years ago?"

"LAST WEEK, RUNT!"

"...Eh-heh..." Negi sank in his seat sheepishly. "Whaddya know?"

"Speaking of which; that email you received two years ago-why wasn't it replied to?"

"I was going to, but I think I was busy at the moment." Negi answered her bravely. "That was so long ago. How would I remember something like that? A-Anyway..." Negi sat up straight, moving her knife away from his face with his spoon. "How did you find out about the girls?"

"I spoke to Takamichi over the phone a few times to hear about you since you never sent me a phone number to contact you by." Anya replied, doing her best to settle down before she mistakenly ignited her jeans again. Negi noticed that she became a little timid before she went on, "And I intercepted a few letters before leaving them in the mail box for Nekane to read later, which reminds me-"

"Hey, don't you know that's illegal?" Negi berated her.

"Shaddup!" Anya yelled back, pointed a flaming finger at him. "As I was saying, who was that overly familiar, red-head in the letter with you?"

"Oh, you mean, Asuna?" Negi asked."Why do you want to know about her? She was my roommate."

"Y-your roommate?" Anya's face drained of its color. _A girl like her was sleeping with him? Oh my god, what were they doing together? No doubt, he was just causing a bunch of trouble down there without me to watch his scrawny butt._

"Yeah. It was her and Konoka." Negi added, not detecting the bulging vein that appeared on her forehead.

_Two of them were sleeping in the same room with him? _A large sweat-drop hung from the side of her head. _What type of relationship did they ha-_

"I slept with them sometimes too." Negi said innocently, cutting Anya's line of thought off completely. Now, I wasn't that he purposely said that to get a rise out of her. No, it was more like he was so used to the behavior of the girls back at Mahora, that this sort of subject didn't bother him as much anymore.

_Oi. _Chachazero slapped her hand on her forehead, awaiting the impending doom.

"Ah," Nekane looked at her reflection in the pan she scrubbed clean and caressed her own cheek with one hand, blushing, "This is so nice."

_**SHBLAST!**_

_Nekane froze in place..._

"Oh my..."

Negi hit the ground after flying out the front door of the house. Some of the townspeople, and magic students walking by looked at him curiously before turning their attention to the door to find Anya standing there with two fireballs held in her hands.

"HEY, TIME OUT!" Negi yelled at her as he removed Chachazero from his head to tuck her into his shirt. The last thing he wanted was for her to accidentally catch fire. When that was taken care of, he looked back to the enraged girl. "-Okay."

"I can't believe you!" Anya cried out, giving all the nosy listeners the impression that the young man had committed a serious offense. "You slept with them? What the hell is wrong with you, Negi? Don't you have any sort of decency?" And now they thought this was a much more serious case than they could handle. The adults pulled their children by the arm quickly, while some of the teenage students tried their best to look busy. Anya was already a hot topic in town so they kind of expected this sort of thing from her.

"It's not like I did it often!" Negi defended himself, completely overlooking the main reason she got infuriated in the first place. His defensive expression shifted to a shocked expression, however, when he realized that a small flame was slowly eating up the tip of Anya's right ponytail.

"...What?" Anya blinked at the odd look on his face. "What? What's wrong?"

"Your hair..." Negi replied in an unsure tone. "It's...on fire."

"It's on f-" Her eyes went wide as saucers when she looked to the flaming ponytail. "AH! N-NOT AGAIN!"

"Hold still!" Negi got up quickly and rushed to her to grab a hold of her ignited ponytail, and slammed it to the floor, yanking her head down a few times in the process, which needed little to no explanation as to how much more it only helped in ruining her mood. When the fire was out, the young magi looked to her with a triumphant smile. "There. Got it out for you."

"Ah-ha..." Anya held her ruined hair in her hands with a relieved smile before her eyes narrowed upon him in a threatening manner.

"...What?"

"You're as useless as you'd always been." Anya mumbled before she bowed her head in what Negi interpreted as disappointment. "And now you've gotten worse..."

"A-Anya...what's going on?" Negi cried out, throwing his hands into the air. "We just meet again and all you're doing is yelling at me and putting me down! I thought we were friends!"

"You know what?" Anya got in his face, forcing him to back down. "Me too, but it just seems like those bimbos back at Japan were so much more important than me, and Nekane!" Tears started to well up in her eyes, catching him off guard. He never saw her in tears before. He had to admit that it made her look cuter than she already had been. "It's been three summers, idiot! Three, that you haven't come back to visit us!

"I'm s-sorry-"

"And you didn't even ask how I'd been or anything like that when you came to the table! You just looked away from me like I didn't even exist!"

"Well, last night-"

"You kicked me out of the room!" Anya cut him off angrily.

"For moral purposes!" Negi retorted, finding himself in another fight with the flaming red-head already.

"Moral purposes?" Anya got in his face yet again. "You talk of morale when you've been sleeping with other girls?" She pinned her right index finger against his chest as hard as she could before she screamed, "Loser!"

"Look- Look!" Negi held out his hands to force her to keep her distance from him. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what happened! I don't know why I forgot to come by for the summer last year or the year before that, but I'm sorry for all of it!" He hunched over slightly. "I've, uh, I've just had so much on my mind lately...so, so much..."

"Are you, really?" She asked, looking quite unconvinced with his apology.

"I am!" Negi got down on his knees, causing the young woman to blush furiously as the people passing by couldn't help but look at the scene that the young vampire was making. "I am down on my knees for you, Anya. Do you see that? I'll do anything to make it up to you. Anything you want!"

_"G-Get up, you idiot." _Anya hissed at him through clenched teeth, her eyes swiveling between him and the people who stopped to watch everything unfold between them.

"You forgive me?" Negi asked, cracking a mischievous smirk. He crawled forward until he was able to grab her by the waist and rest his head against her. "Really? You will?" He asked, his last two words coming out in a soothing voice that made the blush on the young woman's cheek grow hotter.

"Yes, yes, I forgive you. Now get off of your knees you fool." She growled at him, placing a hand on his head to push him away from her.

"Well-" He practically hopped back to his feet in no time at all, taking her by surprise. "I'm glad that's settled."

"Er, settled, you say?" Anya questioned him skeptically, crossing her arms. Her left hand shot out for his wrist quickly before he could react. "No, we're far from reaching that point, idiot. You said-" She wrenched him away from his still position, and forced him to start following her lead. "-that you would do anything to make it up to me, didn't you?" Negi looked over his shoulder, watching as the doorstep to Nekane's cozy home get farther and farther with every step his fierce companion took, and _boy_ was she fierce! With enough time around Evangeline, she would have the potential to become just as frightening.

"Hey." Anya's voice caused Negi to snap his head back in her direction.

"Um, what?" Negi asked nervously. _Breakfast! What about breakfast? Nekaneeeeee...I'm being abducted!_

"How long has it been since you've seen a clear sky?" She asked, never relenting in pulling his arm. She ignored the way some of the young men glared at her companion. Time had a way of introducing obstacles. While Negi was away, Anya's fortune telling business started to boom, and it wasn't simply because of the accuracy of her predictions either.

"…What are you talking about?" Negi questioned her, not seeing just where her question was supposed to lead to.

"You'll see."

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

Negi allowed the reigns to relax in his hand as he watched Anya command her black stallion to gallop to the top of the hill. Just to fit the mood of the scene, she pulled back on reigns, prompting the majestic animal to rear back on its hind legs with a whinny while she looked down upon the young magister with a smirk that got a chuckle out of him. She always did like to show off whenever he was around to see her. It looks like a few years apart did nothing to change that.

"I see you're pretty experienced." Negi complimented her, getting a better hold of his reigns when his horse began to show signs of restlessness at having to see that amazing display from its rival. "Been doing this for a while?"

"Yeah." Anya replied, greedily accepting his words. She looked back at the sight of foggy mountains behind her, beyond the forest. From a picturesque standpoint, it looked like the gates to heaven with the merging clouds that circled the mountain tops, resembling white fur coats.

Negi sighed at the sight before him, hidden away from him in the bustling city of Tokyo, and Mahora campus. How long had it been since he was able to relax in the calm tranquility of the countryside? Worries of tending to the needs of affectionate students, and keeping a check on semi-evil entities melted away from his mind. The burden of his responsibilities slipped off of his shoulders, and for once in a long time, Negi truly smiled.

"Hey…" Anya quirked a brow when she saw the odd expression on her companion's face. It almost seemed as if his soul had left his body with the contentment that radiated from his being. Did he somehow reach enlightenment at his young age? The thought almost made Anya want to throttle him for keeping this a secret from her this entire time. "…Negi!"

"Hwa?" Negi blinked, pulled away from his daze. "Oh, um, yeah, Anya?"

"What just happened?" Anya asked, galloping down to meet him. She leaned over to him when their horses were beside each other, and rapped on his forehead lightly. "You looked pretty vacant for a moment there."

"Oh…well, I haven't been able to relax in a while." Negi confessed. "Back at Mahora, my life was pretty hectic with the girls around."

"See? If that was the case, why didn't you just come back home instead of putting yourself through all of that?"

"I guess I was just so caught up in everything that…I lost myself to all of it." Negi replied vaguely.

"You lost yourself?" Anya echoed his words disturbingly as her right eye twitched. "Lost yourself where; in the land of marshmallows?" Of course, her remark was in regard to the class pictures she snagged a peek at, intercepting Nekane's mail. The girls who were studying under the young vampire were rather blessed in certain assets. That was to say, well endowed; not lacking their daily dose of dairy nutrients; that sort of thing.

"N-no. Not that." Negi retorted, turning his head away from her. "Lost myself to the hopes…the expectations…the responsibilities-," Negi turned back to regard her again, "-that sort of thing."

Hearing him speak in such a sagely tone of voice was rather odd for Anya. This was the same boy that used to whine whenever he felt that he couldn't get anything right, so long ago; the same kid that would refuse to sleep night after night because of his belief that it would only keep him from catching up with his father's greatness. Now, that exact same person was showing a complete change within them that frightened her. Negi Springfield, the child wizard prodigy, was tired. She could see it clearly in his eyes.

"Hey, don't start getting old on me." Anya teased him, nudging his arm. "With the way you're speaking to me now, I expect to see you in crutches soon."

"Old, huh?" Negi mused, his eyes looking vacant again for a moment. _I…think I've lost the ability to ever become old. _Anya watched him bow his head. _I wonder, is it so terrible to be immortal? _He raised his head again to regard his childhood friend._ Would I come to visit Anya one day to find her as an old maiden?_

"Snap out of it!" Anya cried out. "You're doing it again."

"Hey, Anya…." Negi's voice took on an odd tone.

"What?"

"If you could have immortality…would you take it?"

"…Sure, I suppose." Anya replied without taking any time to think her answer through.

"But what could you possibly gain from something like that?" Negi asked her.

"I don't know…" Anya replied, shrugging her shoulders. "What are you getting at, Negi? You're majoring in philosophy or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Negi replied, shaking his head.

"Well, I suppose that immortality would be more like a curse unless you were able to share it with the ones you cared about most." Anya explained. "I guess there's more to lose than to gain in that sort of situation."

_I suppose that's the dilemma…_ Negi thought to himself, offering the red-head a small smile. A certain blonde vampire came to mind, and he sighed. Evangeline McDowell, the puppet master; the Undying Wizard; Dark Evangel; Goddess of Oblivion; Elder Mistress of the Twilight void. Thinking back on her now, could it have been the weight of time that made her so bitter and detached from the rest of the world? Was it the fear of finding herself alone on "_This_ _Undying Night" _that brought up the walls around her heart? Here, he had not even gone as far as a decade, and he was already finding the thought of it disturbing him more and more.

_**{**_"_I've given you immortality, and limitless power...don't you appreciate that?"_

_"At the cost of my humanity."_

_"And what is so god damn great about humanity?" **}**_

_So you keep hold of those dear to you before it's too late, huh? _The young magi thought to himself, glancing at Anya. Sure, it had been quite a while since he actually had the time to have her company, much less, appreciate it, however, the feelings he had for her remained as strong as they had been in the past. Time would never do anything to change that.

_You risk everything in attempting to do so, however… _Assuming that he did work up the nerve to actually reveal his true nature to his long time friend, what were the chances of her accepting him for what he had become? The stereotypical view of a vampire was based upon the single belief that they were beings spawned from the darkness. They were evil, deceitful creatures that would do anything to have their fill of blood. Seeing how much was against him, Negi wasn't sure that things would work out between him and the red-headed magistress.

_Still….if not now, then when? _He watched Anya's expression grow a little impatient. This sudden silence that had taken over the hesitant vampire was beginning to the disturb her. _If I can't trust in Anya to accept me then who can I turn to? Would Nekane...no…she would probably faint on the spot from hearing such news. I don't think she would be too thrilled to know who was responsible for it either._

"I don't suppose you would be planning to provide me with captions soon, eh?" Anya asked, the sarcasm in her voice stinging the young man's ears. Well, if things started to feel a little troublesome, he could always just play it off later, right? Oh, what the heck. It was worth a shot…

"Erm…" He started off, getting the young woman to perk up. "…Anya?"

"Yeah?" She responded, holding up the reigns in her hands to keep control over her horse.

"Do you trust me?"

"Sure I do." She replied with a slight chuckle.

"How much, though?" Negi pushed on, tilting his head to the side a bit, his eyes averting from her.

"Well…pretty much, I'd say." _Why is he asking me these questions for? It almost sounds as though he's done something wrong._

"Why?"

_What do you mean, 'why', you idiot? Just where are you heading with this? _"Because you're Negi, my friend, remember?" She said with a bit of more sarcasm, tilting her head towards him with an annoyed expression. "What's suddenly got you asking all of these questions anyway?"

"We should get off of our horses first." Negi suggested to her, "I wouldn't want to have any accidents."

"…Fine, whatever." Anya nodded quickly, bringing her horse to gallop toward a post near the dirt trail that lead back to the stables. Negi had his horse gallop after her, and got off to tie his reigns around the metal ring provided for him after Anya was done tethering her mare securely.

"Alright. That's out of the way." The girl said, patting the side of her horse before walking up to her friend who appeared to be having trouble, tethering his horse properly. "Let go of that-" She patted his hand out of the way to do it for him, mumbling, "You still need my help with things, even now."

"Heh, heh." Negi laughed stiffly at her words, massaging the back of his neck nervously as a squeamish sensation passed through his stomach. "I suppose I do." He leaned away from her when she turned her attention away from the post to regard him after she was done.

"Now, what's on your mind?" She inquired, placing her hands on her hips. "With everything you've got me doing, I'd think it's pretty serious."

"You could say that." Negi mused.

"Then come out with it already."

Negi sighed. She was straight to the point, wasn't she? Well, that would work wonders on getting through this much faster. It would be like pulling a band-aid off . Hesitation would only make it hurt much worse, wouldn't it?

"Right." He swallowed hard. "I just want you to know that I need you to take what I'm about to tell you, seriously. Can you promise me that?"

"Promise you what?"

"To take me seriously!" Negi cried out. "Are you listening to me at all?"

"I got it, I got it." Anya replied quickly, motioning for him to calm down. "Geez, don't get so excited. Just tell me already, okay?"

Negi nodded, placing his hands on his hips. A sudden intensity filled his eyes, and he remained staring at her for a few seconds…then a minute…okay…maybe a little more…

"Whew, this is tough." Negi let out the breath he was holding, almost causing the lovely young woman to face fault. Apparently these things don't really seem so hard until it's time to say them. Of course, see, there was a few things that could happen after Anya heard what he had to say, and you could very well say that you'd be cool, hearing that your best friend or love interest, whichever you'd prefer, just came out and announced that they were a vampire, but on realistic terms a person would be scared shitless. Yes, one would cower in a corner, or very well just leave that person with the impression that they were an idiot. On the lightest sentence, a person would just laugh or stare. Give the kid credit, eh?

"This is getting pretty awkward." Said the young magistress, swinging her arms back and forth. "I mean, you're not exactly making our time together very productive."

"Okay!" Negi blurted out causing the girl to flinch. "I'm a vampire!"

"Hatcha." Chachazero exclaimed, almost losing her grip on her master's hair. She swiveled her eyes over to Anya to see the girl's reaction only to find her staring blankly. She was a sensible individual, indeed. Hence, her next words proved it.

"That's all?" Anya asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Huh?" Negi blinked. "You mean, you don't mind?"

"Of course I mind! You got us off our horses to tell me a stupid joke?" Anya cried out, throwing her hands up in the air from frustration. _The nerve of this guy_. He just couldn't read a person properly, could he? She wanted to have a nice time with him, and he ruins it just to be an idiot? He had absolutely no right to do this to her!

"You are so…so…" Anya clenched both of her hands into tight fists before jabbing an accusing finger at him, flames burning in her eyes. It was either that, or she managed to light herself on fire again. "STUPID!"

"Anya!" Negi called her name without a hint of amusement. "I'm not lying!"

"Oh, really?" Anya didn't sound the least bit convinced by his tone of voice. "Prove it, then! Show me your fangs. No, no, in fact, turn into a bat!"

"I can turn into a flock of bats." Negi offered with a sheepish grin. "Uh…but I wouldn't want to give you a heart attack."

"Negi…" Anya growled.

"How about," He pulled his upper lip to expose his left canine to her, "thish? Jus thish pwoov ernyting?"

"…They could just be fake." The girl said hesitantly.

"No." Negi told her, letting go of his upper lip. "They're real. Observe." He told her before opening his mouth wide to bare his fangs. Anya watched with a mixture of fascination and fear as his already, abnormally long canines grew in length, making them appear to be more lethal than before.

…Brad Pitt came to mind…

…then things started to feel a little less comfortable for her.

"Y-You…" Anya's voice died in her throat before she went in for another attempt. "Y-y-you…" She coughed, finding that her throat was closing up on her. "Y-y-you're a-a v-v-vampire!" She finally managed to choke out in a near whisper.

"Anya!" Negi rushed forward to catch her in his arms when she nearly fainted. "H-hey, don't faint on me. You'll hurt my feelings that way."

"…You're not lying." She gasped, gripping his shirt weakly. "I don't understand. How did you get this way?"

"You really want to know?" Negi asked, his expression giving her the impression that he would rather have her decline that offer, but being the stubborn girl that she was, she was going to go for answers.

"Yes!" She nodded her head with wide eyes. "That would be very helpful!"

"Alright then, but don't freak out…anymore than you already are." Negi added at the end when she simply looked up at him, blinking. "Evangeline McDowell." At the every moment that the dark wizard's name left his mouth, something interesting happened. See, it isn't everyday that you see a person's eyes roll into the back of their head with a slack jaw before their spirit, kind of just, gently floats out of their throat with a small halo crowning the top of their astral head.

Negi looked both ways to make sure that no one else was around to hear that."…I hope she's okay with this…"

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

Nekane turned away from her painting when she heard someone knock at her door. She set down her brush, wiping her hands against her apron, bearing the battle scars of many multi-colored smudges, and went to go meet her visitors. She was kind of hoping that Negi, and Anya would come back pretty soon because she was beginning to feel a little lonely. It wasn't really fair for the girl to just steal the young magi away from her so quickly. She understood that the young woman was probably ecstatic to see her friend back after so long, but…

Nekane gasped when she opened the door to find the two people that she was just thinking about, although she couldn't exactly say that they arrived in the fashion that she expected. Finding Anya passed out in Negi's arms was pretty shocking, as was the noticeable ease that he was carrying her with. "Erm…" The blonde woman balled a hand to her mouth, observing the two with a concerned expression. "I hope you two didn't make the most of your reunion just yet."

Negi blinked, unsure of how to take those words. "What do you mean by that-" It finally clicked, "Wait-no- you've got the wrong idea!"

"Okay." The older woman posed no objection, stepping out of his way so he could let himself in, mistakenly bumping the unconscious girl's head upon the doorframe. "So, um, what happened to her?" She asked, cringing when she heard the small bop of the red-head's cranium coming in contact with the wood.

"Sheeeee…" Negi trailed off as he walked into the living room quickly. "Er, fainted." He answered her truthfully, somewhat. He laid his unconscious friend along one of the couches, and took a seat, folding his hands on his lap with an innocent grin.

Watching the young man regard her so suspiciously brought up some doubts about whether he was telling her the truth, but Nekane trusted in him. She wasn't sure what she would do if she couldn't. "Can I get you something to drink then?"

"Water, maybe?" Negi asked.

"Of course." She told him with a hospitable smile before going into the kitchen to get him his drink. While she was preoccupied, Negi stood up and walked over to Anya to pat her cheek.

"Anya…" He whispered into her ear. "Wake up already."

_No response from the girl…_

_I never took Anya for the type to faint. I actually expected her to give me a right hook. _Negi touched his jaw, looking away from his friend. "I suppose I should be relieved that she took this path instead." He said to no one in particular before he sensed Nekane come back into the living room.

"Here you go." The tall woman told him, handing him the glass before looking over to Anya with a look of worry. "So, why did she faint?"

"She…saw a dead possum." Negi lied.

"Just for a little thing like that?" Nekane giggled. "My, she's more vulnerable than I thought. I suppose she just puts up a front to look tough."

"So, what were you doing before we came anyway?" Negi asked, trying to change the subject before they found themselves dwelling any further on it. With one woman down, he wasn't sure if he could handle the trouble of two.

"Painting." Nekane replied. She clasped her hands together on her chest with a smile, and asked, "Would you like to come see it?"

"You know, maybe after Anya wakes up." Negi replied, causing her smile to falter a bit. Seeing this, he immediately went on to say, "But I'll definitely come afterward! Are you finished with it yet?"

"Not exactly."

"Then I wouldn't want to see an unfinished work."

"…I guess you're right." She nodded in disappointment. "I'll get back to it then." With that, she took her leave of the two teenagers. Finding that he was all alone with Anya, now that he had Nekane distracted, Negi looked at the cup of water in his hand.

"This would do it." He mumbled to himself before tipping the glass over the sleeping girl's face.

"Pweh!" Drops of water slapped the young magi's face as the young woman coughed, awakened from the unexpected feeling of cold water upon her face. "Kaff-ackeh!" Anya sat up quickly to get the water out of her nose, accidentally clocking her friend with her forehead.

"That did it." Negi groaned, rubbing his nose.

"Ungh." Anya placed a hand against her head, regarding the vampire with narrowed eyes. "…What happened again?" Her question made the young man perk up uneasily. She honestly didn't mean to say that she'd already forgotten his words to her earlier, did she?

"Anya-"

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Anya suddenly cried out with absolutely no warning before she shot her hand out to grip Negi by the wrist. She got back to her feet, falling against him for a moment and looking up into his eyes. Negi had to admit that it was kind of a pleasant experience, having the girl lean against him, but it only lasted briefly before she pulled him along with her.

"W-What?" He stammered, allowing himself to be taken by her yet again. This was beginning to feel a lot like déjà vu.

"You're coming with me!" She yelled at him angrily.

"Where to?"

"To my house, stupid!" Anya answered him, giving him another good jerk to set him proper. She wasn't about to discuss her concerns around Nekane. The woman would have a stroke if she knew what was going on.

"You have your own house?"

"Stop echoing me!"

* * *

_**[ To Anya's House… ]**_

* * *

The house didn't exactly exceed any of Negi's expectations. It was a small, one floor building made of brick with a red roof. It was hard to make out the inside of the house, thanks to the curtains she had up to obscure the view of any nosy individuals, however, upon entering the cozy home, Negi had come to understand that there was another reason for hiding what lied within, and it wasn't pretty. Taking one step into the dim, main hallway almost sent him falling to the floor when he tripped on a book that was left carelessly lying around.

"Well…" Negi trailed off when Anya flipped the light switch on so she would be able to watch her step as she made her way into the small living room of her home. Negi shrugged his shoulders, and wisely followed in suite, passing the pictures that were hung on the wall. There were a few of Anya and some other girls wearing black wizard robes, one of her and Nekane celebrating her birthday with a lone birthday hat on the table beside the birthday cake as if to emphasize the absence of an important individual, one with her and Stan standing in front of the old magic school, and a final picture at the center of all of them of her and Negi at their younger years together. It was probably the only organized display that could be found in the small home. He had to admit though, he never expected a girl to be so messy. Even Asuna was way more presentable than this. With the way this trend was following so far, before you know it, she was going to offer him some instant food.

_I suppose food would be the last thing on her mind right now, though. _He thought to himself. Hearing that your friend was a vampire could kill a person's appetite. He had to give her some credit, however. With the exception of going out cold, she appeared to be handling the news of his nocturnal condition rather well. Of course, knowing that Evangeline was the root of it all was more like adding dynamite to the fire.

"Don't crack your neck." Anya warned him when he stepped into the living room after her. As expected by now with the startling condition of the hallway, there were more books lying around the floor with old, empty ink bottles, and torn scrolls that had words written in another language crossed out with what Negi could clearly see as frustration from the way the lines stabbed at the letters erratically. He turned his attention to an old, wooden desk in the left corner of the room beside the window. Judging from how it was completely piled over with old papers and half open books, spilling out worn and bent bookmarks, it was easy to see why the floor was made to pick up the slack.

"This might be a dangerous place to talk." Negi expressed his concern for their safety after seeing Anya have to regain her balance from slipping on a torn page. He reached out to grab one of the torn papers that glided in the air from Anya's slipping foot to observe it. Upon finding the words, _"Ultimate Plans for World Domination"_, scribbled in large, agitated letters over what appeared to be a thesis; he let it drop back to the floor. He was sure that he didn't want to ask.

"We'll have this conversation in the kitchen then." Anya decided, leading the way past the ocean of literature.

"Right behind you." Negi complied, resisting the urge to kick some of the books out of his way. He was beginning to worry about his dear friend's life style. _Does Nekane know anything about this?_

Entering the kitchen, Negi found that it was the only place in the small house so far that had traversable floors. He figured that the only reason for that was to avoid the possibility of setting one of them on fire. If that didn't pose such a fire hazard, then she probably would have kept some of them in here as well. He was pulled out of his inner thoughts when he heard her voice call to him.

"Yes?" Negi responded to Anya's call, looking to her with his trained smile.

"Take a seat, mister." Anya ordered him, pulling one back for him. This suddenly didn't feel so comfortable anymore. The way she spoke reminded him of a killer inviting some unsuspecting victim into their kitchen so they could chop them up, and stuff them in a plastic bag…ahem…not that Evangeline sounded any differently when she invited him over for some tea.

"Thanks." Negi told her, doing as he was told without the slightest hint of a protest.

"Hmph." She offered him no pleasantries in return, walking to the seat on the other side of the small circular table. When she settled in, a staring contest between the two mages ensued.

_And they stared…_

…_and stared…_

"Heh…surprise?" Negi offered to break the silence, offering her a little grin that gave her a good view of his fangs.

"…It's so unreal. I'd like to call this off as a joke, but you're telling the truth." Anya said , the shock setting her in voice. "Does Takamichi know about this?"

"No way!" Negi answered her quickly. The elder mage would probably have a coronary if he found out that Evangeline got to him. "God knows what might happen if he ever found out." Negi leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the table as he did. "Anya, don't tell anyone else about this, alright?"

"W-What?" Anya jerked back quickly as if someone jabbed her in the face. "You mean this is still a secret?"

"Of course it is!" Negi replied. "You think I'd tell anyone that Evangeline turned me into a vampire?"

"You just told me!" She countered, slamming her hands on the table to lean forward like he did.

"Well…that's… different!" Negi retorted, sounding slightly unsure of himself when he did.

"And how is telling me any different from telling anyone else?"

"Because I-er-I just-uh- I…" Negi found himself tongue tied, trying to find a sensible reason for why he did what he had done earlier, but ideas simply weren't in reach. "I don't know…" He finally admitted, looking to the side. His response caught the girl off guard. "I suppose I just wanted _someone_ to know," He looked to her, "And if it were to be anyone…it would only be appropriate that it was you."

"Me?" Anya's voice became softer. She was taken aback by his words. "What makes me so special?" She tried her best not to sound too eager to hear his answer. He was, after all, still a traitor.

"You're my closest friend." Negi answered her, eliciting a small gasp. "I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but seeing you now…it was kind of hard not to get back all of those emotions from before. I suppose you could say that I feel much more at peace, letting you know."

_Friends, huh? _Anya inwardly deflated. That obviously wasn't the type of response she was expecting. Sure, she had to admit that it was sweet and all, but there was just something so magical about the silence shared between them when she asked her last question that she expected something a little more on the romantic side. Maybe it was just her hormones, or perhaps it was just the feeling of seeing the whining boy from her past come back to her as a young man. She wasn't sure, but she felt so drawn to him. It was as though a desire that she had unconsciously locked away at the bottom of her heart, had come to haunt her.

"I see…." Anya outwardly responded, her eyes drooping somewhat. She tried her best not to let her disappointment show, but for once, Negi was able to pick up on her dejection.

"Did I…say something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Anya attempted to perk up. "N-No. Not really." Her muscles tensed when Negi stood up from her seat to walk to her side of the table. Having him stand before her, towering over her seated form made her feel a little too vulnerable. That feeling was amplified by the knowledge that he wasn't entirely human anymore.

"Does it bother you…that I've become this?" He asked hesitantly, sounding a little hurt.

"It bothers me to know that a wizard like 'Dark Evangel' touched you." Anya replied, her true feelings regarding that certain matter buried under the slight depression that overtook her. "And…" Her voice died out as she attempted to speak further.

"…And what?" Negi asked, leaning toward her. The scene, as you would have it, started to feel a little tense; suspenseful even, and they could both feel it as they looked into each other's eyes. Here was a small flame burning in their hearts, and being alone together in this room with the tension that was building started to make it dance and burn brilliantly. Truly, this was an encounter that one could only find in fairy tales.

Negi felt his fangs begin to tingle as the young woman seemed to rise from her seat. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body. The scent of her blood had become so very intoxicating. He suddenly wanted to take her into his arms and embrace her. He could make this possible. He could share his gift with her. All she had to do was say yes, and he would bring her into a world where desires could be easily fulfilled.

"Negi." Anya rose up and threw her arms around him with a hushed voice. "…I've missed you."

"Anya." Negi spoke her name into her ear, sending shivers through her that she wasn't sure had disturbed her, or brought her pleasure. "I've missed you too."

"How long will you be here?"

"…Not long…"

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

_**[ Checking in on the other hero of this tale… ]**_

* * *

A portal of light opens in the grey clouds above a snow covered plateau like a twisting void to the heavens, casting down a brilliant ray of blue light that strikes that ground with the force of a crashing stone pillar. For a moment all time seems to stop as the winds come to a silent halt, and the falling snow ceases to bend to the will of gravity, hanging in place. The light shrinks until it completely dissipates, and a figure is left crouching in its wake with its head bowed down. It appears to be a young man with unruly, raven hair that stretches behind him like the barbs of a hedgehog. His clothes appear to be quite unfit for the cold climate, accounting of nothing more than a light, black jacket with a white undershirt, and black jeans that exhibited extreme wear. He stands up straight with a soft groan, letting the strap of his backpack slip off of his right hand so he can massage his sore temples. That trip certainly wasn't very pleasant. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so rude to his warp gate attendant back at the shrine in Tokyo.

"Man, that final landing nearly killed me." Kotaro groaned, reaching down to pick his backpack up from the snow covered ground. He looked up at the sky curiously when he realized that there was no wind blowing, however, seconds later time resumed its flow again and the violent wind struck him viciously, smacking him with snowflakes that felt like needles upon his skin. "Yep!" He said loudly, doing his best to talk over the loud moans of the snow blizzard. "No place like home!"

He looked into the distance to spot a flame lit town at the summit of a mountain. Tall, feudal style houses could be seen from his view point, seemingly looking down on him as though he was some unwelcome visitor, and sadly enough, the feeling could not have possibly be more true. He left his home against his mother's orders to seek out a life of adventure with the Istanbul Magic Association, and had not returned for three years since he found a new home with Negi and the girls at Mahora Academy. Kotaro wasn't expecting hugs, and kisses when he stepped foot into his home town again.

_Well...there's no turning back from here. _The wolf demon thought to himself, proceeding forward against the opposing winds. There were red flags posted at set intervals to lead travelers through the blinding fog of snow since the weather never ceased in its unpleasant state. It was an eternal blizzard to keep away any enemies that dared to stage an attack against the town. They say that the town elders summoned the goddesses of the north and south to grant them protection against an overwhelming legion of midians, however, one of the elders lost their lives in the final stage of the ritual, and the summoning could not be undone. As one would guess, it forced them to live in solitude for the rest of eternity. Rarely had they received any visitors unless they allowed it, and those who lived in the town rarely left unless they were given permission by the higher ups. Those who did dare to leave without the consent of the elders were forced to face what lied beyond the protection of the mountains, which could have been no different from suicide if you consider the odds.

"Eh." Kotaro rolled his eyes. "But there's always some story made up for everything. I doubt that it even happen-ARGH!" He was abruptly cut off when he tripped over something that was partly concealed in the snow. "What the he..." He trailed off when he saw a skeletal hand gripping a sword protruding from the snow. "...Must have gotten lost."

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

Finally reaching the summit of the mountain, Kotaro felt himself pass through an invisible barrier. It felt similar to passing through a thick wall of water without the worry of getting wet afterwards. Almost as if he entered another realm, the temperature had completely risen, and the sounds of chirping birds and running streams reached his ears, taking the place of moaning winds that nearly made him go deaf as he climbed the mountain. It felt as though the seasons had gone from winter to summer in the passing of a mere few second.

"Thing don't change much here, do they?" The demon mused, walking through the arc of the town to find others just like him walking the streets in a busy manner. Feudal style houses stretched out before him side by side, separated from the streets by small bodies of water like lake houses. The only way to access them was by the elegantly crafted bridges that connected them to the walkways. There were stores, business stands, and small parks further within the town as well. Unlike the barren lands outside, beautiful trees sprouted from the ground with colorful leaves, and flowers budding from them. Odd birds that resembled small phoenixes flew from branch to branch, sometimes even perching on the shoulders and heads of people who walked by. It almost resembled a busy city with the way everyone rushed around as though they had some goal to reach with little time to get there.

At the far side of the town was the largest building that resembled a three story palace. There the elders gathered for meetings, and passed on the laws of the town. Usually new faces would go there first to announce themselves, but since Kotaro wasn't the type to go by the rules, he was going to pass. That would also be neglecting to mention that his mother happened to be one of the elders so...I'm sure that didn't require much explaining as to why he would shy away from that place. Now, the question was how he was going to face her. He would have much rather done this at their house, however, that would also mean that he would have to face his three sisters. It wasn't that he didn't have a good relationship with them. Actually, it was more like their relationship was based purely on tough love. Being raised in a house with two older sisters could really work you hard if you're the only male. The absence of a father meant that it was a matriarchal family as well. He didn't get his chivalric code from just anywhere.

"No better place to start training than from the source." Kotaro muttered to himself, heading up the row of houses. He noticed some of the people on the porches of their homes staring at him, and he did his best to look the other way and act casual. _People aren't actually beginning to recognize me already, are they? _He swiveled his eyes to what was up ahead of him to find that he was getting closer to the inner district. The houses started getting taller, and fancier. The rails that kept children from falling into the water also started to show more elegance in their bending designs.

"I never did like this part of town." Kotaro mumbled a hint of antipathy in his voice. He had not noticed how much straighter his posture gradually became as he walked deeper into the district. His usual manner of walking gradually started to become a little refined as well. The scowl on his face even disappeared, being replaced by a forced smirk. Walking around this area had that affect on him. It was caused by an instilled fear that lingered within his very soul.

_Here we are… _He arrived in front of a manor house that swallowed him up in its shadow with its imposing size. Coming to the bridge, he pushed open the small gate and walked on to ascend the polished, wooden stairs that led up to the door. Two lion statues sitting at both sides of the door looked up at him with fierce gazes, causing a sweat drop to hang from his forehead. Reaching for the heavy door knocker, he banged it against the door a few times and waited patiently, sub consciously getting into a defensive stance.

"_Who is it?" _He heard a loud feminine voice echo from within.

"_Why don't you try finding out?"_ Another feminine voice replied with sarcasm.

"_Don't feel like it."_

"_Get off your ass already!"_

"_I don't remember ever taking orders from you!"_

Kotaro sighed, rolling his eyes as he flexed his fingers in anticipation…

"_Fine, I'll do it you lazy slob."_

"_Call me whatever you want. Just do it."_

"Ok…I'm pumped….I'm pumped…" He narrowed his eyes as he heard the footsteps get closer to the door. "N-no turning back." His voice wavered when the foot falls came to a halt right behind the door, and the locks turned.

The door opened to reveal a short, spectacled young woman with long, raven hair that nearly fell to the floor and silver eyes that stabbed at Kotaro with a cold gaze. Like all of the people from the wolf clan, she had dog-like ears that twitched sensitively. Her build was quite athletic, with her bust showing the most development as her dress shirt had displayed quite clearly. Aside from that, she was dressed in a white dress shirt and a black, frilled skirt that fell below her knees with sandals on her feet.

"How might I be able to help you sir?" Her tone of voice, unlike her words, was not very welcoming. It sounded more like she just wanted him to leave her sight rather than putting her through the trouble of talking with him. Her eyes took note of his stance and she quirked a brow suspiciously, "Why are you standing….like…." Her voice seemed to fade away, almost as though an invisible hand had slowly tightened around her neck. There was something about this young man before her that just bothered her. His looks were somehow different, but she could tell that this face was not...wait a second...

_Light bulb…_ Kotaro inwardly shot at her, seeing how her eyes lit up with recognition.

"I…can't believe it…" She said in a near whisper, her glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose as her cold gaze softened somewhat.

"Sup, Kanako." He greeted her with a quick wave. The casual way that he went about greeting her made a vein bulge out on her forehead. She didn't know what the hell was possessing him to do this, but for this young man to even have to nerve, no, the gall, to simply show up without so much as getting on his knees and begging for forgiveness was simply beyond her, but if there was one thing that was for certain, he would not go unpunished now that he was among them again.

"CASKA!" The young woman called out into the house so loud that Kotaro couldn't help but wince at her tone.

"_What? Why the hell are you screaming?"_ Came the response of the annoyed voice from before. The relationship between these two individuals wasn't exactly that of a loving nature, was it?

"Come to the door!" As she replied, her hands shot out to grab Kotaro by his shirt before he could think up of a reaction, and she pulled him towards her roughly.

"Easy, easy!" Kotaro cried out, turning his face to the side slightly so that their faces weren't pressed up against each other. She brought him so close to her that he was afraid that she would bite his nose. The fierce look on her lovely face looked anything but friendly. It was then that Kotaro remembered one of the reasons that he was so eager to leave his hometown. The demon that held him now was undoubtedly one of them. How he shared even a shred of DNA with this woman was something he couldn't help but question every time they met, but wait...there was more to come, and by the sound of those foot falls that got closer as his mind rebooted all of this old data, it wouldn't make the situation any better.

"What the hell is your…" Another young woman, much taller than the first woman stopped behind her with her mouth left hanging open when her gray eyes took in the sight of her younger brother. Short, raven hair that fell to her shoulders with grey eyes, and lips of such fullness that they appeared to be puckered most of the time, made up her attractive facial features. While she lacked the bust that her sister was generously endowed with, her physique held a comparable candle, and the shorts she had on revealed the shapely legs that she took so much pride in. As expected with the comments that escaped the confines of the house earlier, she wasn't nearly as well dressed at her sister was. The clothes she wore made it seem as though she had just gotten out of bed, with the oversized shirt that she sported, almost concealing the shorts she had on.

"...You can't be...serious..." Caska whispered. "You're actually alive..."

"You doubted me?" Kotaro asked her cockily before feeling himself get lifted off the floor by Kanako. The fierce young woman, or at least that was what her physical appearance implied, gripped his shirt even tighter as she raised him higher. "H-Hey-"

"Silence!" Kanako cut him off quickly, a feral growl leaving her lips. "Do you even realize what trouble you brought our mother with your disobedience?"

"W-"

"Don't answer that! You lack any filial piety, you disrespectful wretch!"

"Kanako." Caska placed a hand on her sister's shoulder to get her attention. When the girl turned her head to regard her sister, Caska leaned away from the hot stare that was directed at her.

"What?" Kanako narrowed her eyes until they were slits. Caska understood what that meant, but she chose to ignore it anyway.

"Let the kid go, huh?" She replied.

"Huh?" Kotaro blinked at her words.

"Don't think for a second that I'm taking _your_ side, idiot." The short haired woman snapped at him when his face began to show even a little shred of appreciation for her words. She turned back to regard her sister and went on, "If anyone should be the one to deliver this boy's punishment, it should be mother. You have no right to take that responsibility into your own hands."

Kanako scoffed. "And since when have you been one to think about mother's position in the first place? Don't suddenly start to act like some obedient daughter when you know that you're the one who's inspired such reckless qualities in our brother to begin with."

"So I may have influenced him a little bit. So what?" Caska retorted. "Just understand where you've stood your entire life."

Kanako looked between her sister and her brother, seemingly trying to come to a decision when finally, she released her hold on Kotaro, dropping him to the floor like a piece of trash. "Fine!" She leaned over to her brother, her nose still wrinkled with digust. "Mother will be the one to decide how to go about this. Consider yourself a dead man."

"Hey, hey." Kanako whipped around when Caska spoke again in a laid back fashion.

"What is it now?" Kanako asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"It doesn't mean we can't get him ready for her." Caska cracked her knuckles in a frightening fashion that made Kotaro's ears shoot straight up in fear. "I mean, lets not beat him to a pulp, but..." She trailed off, smirking at her sister.

"I have no qualms with that idea." Kanako replied, setting her sights on her younger brother again.

"You girls can't do that!" Kotaro shuffled away from them, letting go of his bag. "The old woman won't approve of this!"

"You'll address her as your mother." Kanako snarled, removing her glasses to tuck them on the cleavage of her dress shirt. "Now..." Her scowl gradually turned into a demented grin. "Don't scream too hard."

_Oh shit..._ Kotaro felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. _They're gonna murder me..._

"Actually, I want to hear him scream." Caska laughed. "Scream as much as you want little bro."

"The odds are against me!" Kotaro pointed out for them quickly. His survival instincts kicked in. "You call this a fair fight?"

"Fair, you say?" Kanako grabbed him around one ankle. "Who gives a crap about fairness?" She turned to her sister. increasing her grip on his ankle. "Do you?"

"Not really." Caska answered her truthfully. "Let's bring him in."

From anyone looking from afar, it would have seemed as though the young man had been dragged into the house by some vicious beast. His screams were heard until the door closed upon being dragged inside against his will. No one could save him now...

* * *

**_[ But getting away from that... ]_**

**_-

* * *

_**

"Konoka." Asuna nudged her friend's shoulder with a worried expression. The young Konoe dropped on to the couch upon getting back to their dorm room from classes, and she didn't look particularly well. She laid back, sinking into the couch cushion with an unusual, broken expression taking the place of the glowing smile that others had come to associate with her so well. Her eyes, normally filled with the light of life and happiness, had dulled considerably. They appeared to grow tired with wear and clouded with depression. Her skin, once smooth and radiant, had become somewhat pale. The light from her had been stolen away, and the absence was so dramatic that it did not go unnoticed by the other girls.

"...Hm?" Konoka looked up at Asuna, her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Are you going to eat anything?" The red-head asked, stroking her head softly. "You haven't eaten breakfast or lunch. You must be starving."

"Hungry?" Konoka questioned the word, averting her eyes as though it was a foreign idea to her. When she turned back to regard her friend, her expression still lacked any response to her question. "No. I don't feel hungry." The young woman replied before turning her gaze to the wall across from her again. It was the only thing that ever interested her since the young magi wasn't around for her to crush with her loving embrace, or there to tease or play around with.

"Alright." Asuna accepted her answer, but her feelings weren't too comfortable about her friend's behavior. _This is starting to feel more depressing every time she looks at me like that. The situation just keeps on getting worse. First Negi decides to leave, which was already more than enough to crush everyone's spirits, and then Kotaro suddenly decides to leave Mahora too. Chizuru almost choked on her tears_. She walked to the kitchen and leaned against the counter, bowing her head. She used to believe that things would have been better off if Takamichi had continued being their homeroom teacher, but now she understood the significance of Negi's presence in the classroom. When he took the elder mage's place, there was a change in everything that she never really took notice of until he was gone. There were feelings that lingered within the girls' hearts that weren't completely understood until he was out of their reach. How did that old saying go again? You don't really know what you've got until you've lost it.

"Yeah. That's about right." Asuna said to no one in particular before she heard the bell from the door. She slapped her cheeks to perk herself up, and walked to the mirror in the living room to smile at her reflection. _Konoka..._ Her eyes strayed to the reflection of her sitting friend before she sighed and headed for the door to go answer it.

"Give me a sec." Asuna called out, reaching for the knob. when she was done unlocking the top lock, she turned the knob and pulled the door open to reveal Setsuna; just the person she needed. "Oh, Setsuna. Come in."

"I hope that I'm not intruding." The swordsman said softly, her posture appearing to be slightly slouched. It had been four days since Negi has been absent, and in those passing days the class of 3-A had developed a sort of animosity towards Setsuna. Mana's rage has gone completely cold. She had become as detached as she had always been before Negi had come, if not even more. Chisame was beginning to recede into her shell again as well, however, she never spared a moment to glare at the swordsman whenever they crossed paths. Kaede, and Ku-Fei didn't seem to share the mean spirits that possessed the girls to cast her away though. They appeared to be the only girls still willing to sit with her at lunch, even if they couldn't find the nerve to work up much of a conversation most of the time.

Asuna furrowed her brows at her choice of words. "Intruding?" Asuna reached for her friend's arm and pulled her into the room with more force than she intended. "Don't say stupid crap like that. Of course, you're not intruding!"

"T-thank you." Setsuna told her, uneasily. "It's just..."

"Look, don't listen to the others, alright?" Asuna told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We know the truth, and that's what matters. Now," Asuna tossed her head in the direction of the living room, "There's someone who really needs to see you in there."

"The ojou-sama?" Setsuna asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Yeah." Asuna nodded her head as she placed her hands on her hips. "She's been acting pretty strangely ever since you brought her back from Evangeline's cabin a few days ago."

"I've noticed." Setsuna replied, knowingly. "That's why I wanted to come by and see her."

"Why didn't you do it sooner?" Asuna asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I was...a little scared." Setsuna admitted. "I didn't know how she might react to my presence." At her words, the red-head looked at her with disbelief.

"You didn't think that she might hate you, did you?" Asuna sounded a tad bit disappointed in her friend. How she could even think that Konoka would have a shred of ill will towards her was simply something she couldn't understand. Never had she seen Konoka ever smile so widely as when Setsuna ever came to see her, or simply addressed her by her actual name rather than the usual formal title. True, the girl loved Negi very much, however, there was a bond that she shared with the swordsman that was much deeper. It was something that Asuna doubted she would ever come to figure out.

"...Perhaps."

"Geez..." Asuna grabbed the swordsman by the arm and walked her into the living room against her will. Setsuna nearly lost her breath at the sight she was faced with. She couldn't believe that it was Konoka sitting there, and not some imposter simply posing to be her. "See what I mean?" Asuna asked Setsuna, bring her attention back to her. Konoka didn't seem to care that the red-head was openly talking about her. She merely continued staring back at the wall. Setsuna's presence didn't even get a glance from her.

"She's...this is...how serious is it?" Setsuna was unable to organize her thoughts properly.

"She won't eat." Asuna answered her grimly. "She hardly speaks to me now. I'm hoping that she won't be the same towards you."

"But...what can I-"

"Do what you usually do." Asuna cut her off. "Speak with her. I'm sure she'll respond somehow."

"...Very well." Setsuna nodded stiffly. She turned away from Asuna, and walked towards the couch much like a robot would. This must have been very awkward for her to walk like that. She usually carried herself with so much fluidity, and grace. It was almost sad to see Setsuna so timid.

"Is she gonna fall over?" Asuna raised an eyebrow curiously when the swordsman tirpped over her own foot, staggering forward until she was right in front of the young Konoe. _Poor girl is going to fall apart if she keeps this up. I wonder why she's so nervous._

"Ojou-sama." Setsuna called her attention.

"What?" Konoka turned her head to regard the crow demon.

_...Well, that turned out better than they thought..._

"How are you?" Setsuna inquired, taking a seat beside her.

"...Fine..." The girl lied, though her voice was so firm and still that it was hard to detect any falseness in her answer.

"Are you sure?" Setsuna asked nervously. "You don't appear to be yourself."

Konoka paused, blinking at her for a moment before replying, "I don't?" She turned her head away from her. "I don't really care..."

"Ojou-"

"Could you leave me alone?" Konoka cut her off softly. "I don't wanna talk anymore." With that, she stood up from her seat, and headed for the bedroom, leaving Setsuna to watch her fleeting form until it disappeared. Asuna could only let her mouth hang open with shock.

"...That did not go well." Setsuna mumbled, her voice wavering.

"Setsuna...I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it." Asuna told her.

"I suppose I'll go then." Setsuna stood up and proceeded for the hallway to leave.

"Wait-" Asuna stopped when Setsuna brushed past her. "Listen, Setsu-"

"I'll see you tomorrow." Setsuna spoke over her voice before opening the door, and closing it behind her.

_Dammit..._

* * *

_**[ Evangeline's Residence... ]**_

* * *

All was quiet in the vampiress's residence as there was not much left to do after Evangeline McDowell had gotten through with her training session with Takane Goodman. The blonde magistress was fair enough as a disciple, however, she was making less progress than Negi had when they first started out together, and it was working Evangeline's patience. She didn't understand how that girl could hope to stand a chance searching for the young magi in her condition. Her dark ego was quick to answer back whenenver she was frustrated as well. It was only because of her bond with Negi that the dark mistress had not decided to discipline her the way she wanted to. Had that not been the case, she doubted that Takane would ever want to come back for another session, much less, be able to eat solid foods for a week or two.

"Mistress." Chachamaru called to the chibi-vampire as she walked into the living room with a silver platter in hand. It was time for the mistress's tea, however, the usual guest of honor was not present to enjoy a cup with her. Maybe that was the reason Evangeline looked so bored, sitting in her long chair, or perhaps it was because she was waiting for the phone to ring. Yes, ever since Negi left, Evangeline had a small table set up beside her favorite chair to await calls from the young magi. With four days gone by, and still no call, she was beginning to show a little frustration from all the waiting. Of course, one could also see her current mood as something akin to worry, but we all do value our lives, don't we? Oh, so you don't, eh? Well, my apologies, but I'm not into those sado-masochist tastes.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked, opening one eye to regard the gynoid from her seat, her chin resting in one hand.

"Your tea." Chachamaru replied, setting the platter down on the small table before her.

"Good." Was all Evangeline said, sparing her the pleasantries. The tiny blood sucker reamained seated silently as Chachamaru went about serving her a cup, and preparing some small tea cakes for her before offering her a bow, standing beside her. With all of the upkeep taken care of, Chachamaru found that she didn't have much left to do for the day unless her mistress decided to get into a fit, which she prayed would not happen.

Evangeline picked up the tea spoon from the dish that her tea cup rested on, and dipped it into the steaming, crimson concoction before stirring it gently. She took a sip, closing her eyes as she did, and reached for a tea cake to take a small bite of it.

_Munch, munch, munch...Chomp...munch, munch, munch..._

_Evangeline took another sip of her tea..._

_...she takes another tea cake..._

_Munch, munch, munch..._

_She looks to the phone..._

_Chomp...munch, munch, munch..._

_Evangeline takes another sip of her-wait-no...she looks to the phone again..._

_...she sips her tea..._

_...she takes another-no, no...she looks to the phone again..._

_...She stares at the phone..._

..._staring..._

_...not looking away..._

_And..._

"ARGH!" Evangeline cried out, throwing her hands up into the hair with half clenched hands. "What the hell is taking him so long to speak with me?"

"Mistress, I'm sure he might just be busy." Chachamaru tried to calm her.

"BUSY?" Evangeline glared at her servant. "Too busy to speak with me?"

"...Yes."

"What could possibly be more important to him than me?" The little vampire was nearly bordering on histerical. "I'm his master! I'm number one!"

"Mistress...perhaps you should calms down." Chachamaru suggested. "This isn't like you..."

"Ugh!" Evangeline settled back down, crossing her arms. "He pisses me off sometimes."

_I have similar sentiments. _Chachamaru inwardly quipped, looking to the side before turning her attention back to her mistress. "Do you think he may have come across some trouble already?"

"Trouble?" Evangeline echoed her thoughtfully. "...I can't really say unless he contacts me. I mean, I doubt he's gotten far enough to do anything yet."

"Perhaps..." There was actually a hint of unease un the gynoid's voice, and it put Evangeline off.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes at her servant suspiciously.

"...Well, Negi-kun has always been the type to surpass your expectations. He also has a tendency to get into trouble fairly easily."

"Seriously," Evangeline chuckled. "What are the chances of him getting into anything serious at this point?"

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**_

* * *

It had been a wonderful three days at his hometowm, however, all things could not last forever, even if Negi felt that he wanted to stay longer. Things may have gotten quite comlex with Anya, but she told him that she could handle herself. She wanted to accompany him on his journey, saying that she would do all she could to be of help as long as they could be together, but things were not meant to be. Nekane was rather heart broken to see him go as well. The woman couldn't stop crying as he took off from the town, although the same couldn't have been said for some of the students. Seeing him part from the lovely Anya was one thing they were praying on since they had seen the both of them reunite. Come later, however, they would find out that Anya would not be willing to give them a chance. The new flame that burned between her and the young magi would make sure of that...

"So where to now?" Chachazero asked her master from the top of his head as he soared through the clouds. Negi never realized that flying would make his travels so easy. It did have its disadvantages though. While he was in the air, it kept him from coming across clues that might have been awaiting him below.

"Stan had some connections with some other magic scholars in the town north of the one I lived in." Negi replied. "Nekane said that some of them are still around even though most of them left for the magic world after the surprise attack."

"How noble." The sadistic puppet said with sarcasm. "They just up and left everyone, huh?"

"Well...they had a reason to be scared." Negi defended them with a sheepish grin. "They weren't sure who the demons were after."

"They're cowards if you ask me." Chachazero retorted. "Aren't your other friends petrified in the old academy?"

"...Yeah." Negi answered her after a pause.

"...Sorry about' that." The puppet apologized.

"Nah, don't worry about it." Negi told her. "There's not much we can do about them..." Negi squinted his eyes when the clouds began to get thicker. "...for now..." He finished his sentence, squinting harder. "That's weird. Is there going to be a storm?"

"Master, these clouds feel a little suspicious." Chachazero alerted him. "Something is a bit off here."

"Should I land then?"

"That might be a good idea."

"Kay." Negi nodded before shifting his posture so that his feet were pointing towards the floor. He began to descend slowly, waiting for the thickness of the clouds to dissipate, but no matter how low he descended, he still found it hard to make out what was in front of him. Just what was up with this fog?

"What the he-UNGH!" Negi let out a grunt of pain when he suddenly hit ground without warning. His legs gave out from under him upon making such harsh contact with the ground and he fell to his side.

"Master!" Chachazero cried out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Negi answered her with a groan, pushing his palms against the stone paved road that he found himself lying against. As his fingers pressed into the cracks on the floor, he felt the softness of moss and other types of vegetation brushing against them gently until he moved his fingers along it a little further to hit a thorn. "Ouch!" Negi quickly brought his finger to his mouth without thinking, tasting his own blood before he felt the small puncture close up. "Where are we?"

"I can't really tell." Chachazero replied. "I can sense a faint presence of magic though. Do you think we might be near that town you were talking about?"

"I hope so." Negi replied, holding his hand out in front of him. _Well, it isn't that thick. _The young magi thought to himself, wiggling his fingers out before his eyes to check if he could make them out. "I suppose we should move on, and see what's up." With those words, he proceeded forward with no specific destination in mind. The fog was still thick enough to keep him from making out where he was walking towards, and the skies appeared to be out of the question for scouting out an area to land. Walking further, the two made out long twisting gates at thier sides. It felt as if they had come across some sort of courtyard. Venturing further, the young magi and his familiar could see dead roses and other flowers twisting around the metal beams that made up the gates in an elegant pattern. It clearly showed the brilliance of the craftsmen whom made them. Negi wasn't sure he had ever seen anything like them; it was truly amazing.

"Where the hell are we?" Chachazero mused.

"This doesn't look like anyplace I know about." Negi replied until he hit something cold and sturdy. He reached out in front of him to curl his fingers around the beams of a gate. "Looks like we've hit something." As if his words had an effect on the fog itself, everything before him started to become much clearer as it slowly dissipated. Before long he was albe to make out a town beyond the large imposing gate that blocked his path. He pushed against it, and it creaked open loudly.

"...We've gotten somewhere." Chachazero commented, her eyes swiveling from side to side. There were old style houses stretching out from the sides of the gate, forming a straight path for them to walk. The lights were on in most of them so there must have been people living in the town despite its dead atmosphere. There wasn't a soul walking the streets. It felt like they just stepped into the scene of an old horror movie.

"This sure feels unwelcome." Negi said with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Are you scared?" Chachazero teased.

"Of course not!" Negi answered her, denying it more strongly than he actually intended it to come out. "This place just doesn't feel right, okay?"

"I understand." Chachazero rolled her eyes.

"When you say it that way, it's hard to believe you." Negi told her, unconvinced by her response.

"Well, if you really ant to play it that wa...um, hey..." Chachazero stopped in mid sentence to point out something in front of them.

"What is it?" Negi turned his attention to what was in front of him to find out that he had traveled deep enough to reach the town square. Here the town houses and shops arched around in a circle to form nicely around a towering water fountain of a gargoyle with a wing span that allowed the tip of both wings to stretch to the far sides of the circle. There was a manor far in the distance behind the fountain; It looked like something out of an old painting. Letting his eyes lead up what seemed like a high keep at the top of the manor, the full moon could be seen looking back at him in its unearthly beauty.

"I didn't even think it was that late." Negi mumbled, unsettled by the events that he was now experiencing. He was brought out of his admiration of the dark manor, however, when he realized that there was a figure sitting on the ledge of the fountain in front of him. How odd. He was sure that he'd seen nobody there before, or maybe he was just too astonished by the sight of the gargoyle earlier to really pay any attention to anything else. _Wait. _Negi thought suspiciously. _But I'm sure that Chachazero would have pointed the person ouf for me._

"Salutations there, newcomer." Came the voice of the woman sitting on the ledge. Getting a better look at her, Negi realized that she was gorgeous. He didn't think that her beauty could even be comparable to any other woman he'd seen before. Well, no other woman beside his master, but she had to become an adult to reveal her inner beauty since her dark personality just spoiled most of it. The woman that greeted him had long, silver hair that fell over her shoulders with long bangs that almost covered storm gray eyes that were mesmerizing to look into. Her nose had a distinct elf like feature that looked cute in Negi's opinion, and her lips were just luscious. She had an elegant neck that didn't stray upward too long to make her seem unnatural, leading up to a delicate chin, and her figure was just hard to look away from. She would have inspired sculptors and poets world wide, or perhaps even stopped them dead in their thoughts so that anything that could be considered intelligible would never reach them unless they had been struck blind.

"Hello." Negi greeted her back. "Sorry...I didn't see you there before."

_...She looks familiar._

There is a belief that the smallest details in life could be a trigger for something that would affect us forever. It could be a simple decision, an action, a meeting, a greeting, or even a few seconds of eye contact. It doesn't matter how insignifact it might seem; it could send far greater ripples than anyone could ever imagine. Right now, at this moment, looking into the eyes of this mysterious woman that appeared before him in a town out of a fog...

...Negi had just shared a greeting that would seal his fate forever...

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_And after many hardships and long nights, another chapter of this story had come to its completion. I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am that I'm actually updating this fic. With the way things have been going for me, I almost thought I wouldn't be able to release another chapter for another month. Ahaha, just kidding...stop staring at the type like that because I can't feel it. Anywayz, assignments have been going at me lke crazy, and with the election coming up soon, professors just love to assign papers. Can you blame them? I'd want to stick my nose in my student's opinions on the election as well. It's just fun._

_Getting back to topic, yes, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. Negi has finally met his first mistress, and as all first times go, it might be more than the young vampire can handle. His relationship with Anya has been left fairly ambiguous. I'll just let it sit there and frustrate you guys. That last scene was a little scary wasn't it? Or maybe some of you just enjoyed it...or perhaps some of you are disturbed, and confused...unsatisfied maybe? So sue me; it was a little too peaceful for my tastes, alright? __Kotaro seems to have quite a bit of trouble ahead of him as well with the sadistic sisters he's been cursed with. Fiances can be scary too... _

_Well, seeing as how my browser is acting up, let me see if I can retrieve some questions on another tab..._

_...Can you guess the mistress?_

* * *

_**Question Time...**_

_**Q. **Eva... Negi.. Sweetloving... WHEN?_

_**A. **_Sometime in this series. Be assured, it will come..

_**Q. **Though I worry that the intriguing style of narrative you used in the original will not be repeated here. Is this so and why have you decided this.(Too lazy to edit this question...)_

**_A. _**_My style has changed? I better lay off of those literature books..._

_**Q. **Negi has eternal youth, doesn't he? So he can't die of old age?_

_**A. **No. You'd have to kill him like any other Belmont would._

_**Q. **I guess it's time that you try to add yourself in your own story as an informant that is someone who just knows things and indirectly gives information to the main character. of course you would be a bit neutral on who's side. (More like a suggestion I suppose...)_

_**A. **Intruiging...tell me more..._

_**Q. **How strong is negi currently and will he be able to match dark mistresses in this fic, in later chapters?_

_**A. **Three years earlier, Dorothy, a young mistress, kicked his nocturnal butt without breaking a sweat, and the only reason he won that fight was because of her infatuation for him. Now, imagine a vampiress who's fought through a war, the depths of hell, and fought against the great 'Dark Evangel' herself. I'd say Negi will do quite a bit of running, however, it never hurts to try, and who knows...he might just come out victorious...or not..._

_**Q. **Will Mahora and the world Negi is about to step into overlap or will they stay separate and ignorant? Meaning will the girls or anyone else besides those who are entering or have entered it ever get a glimpse of that darkness?_

_**A. **Worlds will eventually collide. That's when Negi's humanity will be put to the test..._

_**Q. **What are the major weakness for vampires and wearwolfes? Examples are like sunlight, crosses, garlic, holy water and silver._

_**A. **Silver is a definite. Sunlight, garlic, but no crosses. The vatican is going to learn quite a bit about their timeless foes, and it won't be pleasant. Demonic artifacts, and weapons would work nicely, though. Angels might stand a chance as well, but that's still in development..._

_**Q.**_ _I was wondering what would happen if all the girls found out what eva did to negi in turning him. I was also wondering when they would find out._

_**A. **All in due time, friend..._

_**Q. **Are the Dark Mistresses and Dark Lords Negi will meet on 'our' world, or in the Magic World? From what I've read of your previous chapters (and his encounter with Catherine later on), I suspect they are all 'here', in 'our' world._

_**A. **Let's just say that our world is their little summer getaway in a manner of speaking. Their true castles and palaces are in the magic world. That'll be explained in upcoming chapters..._

_**Q. **Mana was intense to say the least, and will all this tear the class apart, and what will this mean for the girls, as to whether they'll move on or be stuck in a timewarp waiting for Negi to get back?_

_**A. **I'll keep tabs on the girls..._

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]

* * *

**_

**_Nexus War Side Story: "At Your Side"_**

**_Episode One: McDowell_**

_**

* * *

**_

"Camilla." His voice was deep, yet, soothing. It was the voice of her father, the one man that she loved and adored. He was the one human that held a place in her heart. He was her strength and protection when the rest of the townsfolk looked down on her because of her unnatural features. Her skin was too pale and pearl like; On certain nights when the moon was high in the sky, she resembled a ghost. Her eyes were inhumanely intense, and her hair was too beautiful and vibrant for that of a simple town girl born in a poor family. She stood too proudly, she was far too sharp and full of wit. All of the older girls in town disliked her for that and did their best to cast her out from the others so as to make her feel unwanted and alone. That was fine, though. As long as she had her father to stand by her and love her, all else did not matter. He would never harm her. He would never bring tears to her eyes...or so she thought.

"Yes, father?" Camilla clutched her father's pants by the pockets as she looked up at his face. He was so tall and handsome, and strong, too. His dark hair fell to the back of his neck like a lion's mane, and he sported a thick beard. It always pricked her face whenever she stood on tip of her toes to kiss his cheek. He always did smell funny, though, like milk, and women in town always stopped in their morning duties when he walked through town, holding her hand as she skipped beside him. The other men joked that he was unlucky for it. They said that he would receive visitations from dark witches that lusted after him for his beauty.

"From the moment I heard you cry, I thanked God for every breath that he allowed me to take from that point on. I had never felt true happiness until the moment I held you in my arms, and it was my selfish hope that I would never have to let go of you." He smiled to her, a sad smile. It made her stomach drop.

Camilla stepped closer to him, looking up with confusion. "Father?"

"I have loved you since the day you first entered my world, and that will never change. Never think for a moment that I have felt otherwise."

"...What?"

"We can no longer be together, Camilla." His words filled her veins with cold chill. What was her father talking about? What he was saying couldn't be true. He was there for her everyday. He wiped her tears and brought smiles to her face. He kept her warm when the world brought her bitter coldness, and he gave her strength when she felt weak. What could ever stop that? What sinister force could possibly come between them and change that?

"That...it can't...I won't let that happen." Camilla wanted to cry out, but a strangled whisper was all that left her lips.

"Camilla." Her father knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. "This life was never meant for you, and I would do all in my power to keep that from ever changing. I want more for you in this world, more than I could ever give you. You deserve that much and more." He stroked her head when she clung to him, her nails digging into his sides. "You're special, Camilla. You've always been different from other people you've met..." He held her away from him despite her efforts to keep him from doing so. "...Haven't you realized that?"

"That doesn't matter! I-It never has!" Camilla's eyes watered, burning furiously. "I don't care for such things!"

"But you must." Her father told her. "You must embrace that to understand that you're meant for more than this. You have a purpose in this world that far overshadows anything that any of us could ever hope to live up to."

"But-"

"And I wouldn't be living up to my role as a loving father if I ever kept you from fulfilling it."

"F-Father?" Camilla reached out with both hands and caressed the sides of his face. "I just want to be with you. What could ever be more important than that?"

"Living your life as you're meant to." Her father replied, his smile only bringing more tears to her face. He brought her back to him with a hug that felt desperate and hungry. It made her think that he truly wasn't serious about his words. It wasn't until he lifted his head from her shoulder to look to something behind her that she felt her hopes melt away.

_"She knew well to place her trust in you, Gavriel." _A distinct feminine voice came from a distance. Camilla was quite sure that it belonged to no woman from the town. It was too rich...too powerful. She turned around in her father's arms to get a look at the mysterious owner of the voice to find a woman standing in the shade of a tree with her arms crossed over her chest. Her face could hardly be made out from underneath the black, wide brimmed hat that she wore. The girl could only make out long, raven hair that melted into the darkness of her cloak. Armor just as dark could be made out underneath the cloak. Had she not spoken earlier, Camilla would have mistaken her for a slender man. It wasn't until the woman raised her head that her doubts were put to rest. This woman's beauty was something out of a fairy tale.

_"So this is her daughter." _The woman's black eyes regarded her intensely as she brought a hand to her narrow chin to stroke it with curiosity while her other hand remained draped along the side of her waist. _"Just a beautiful as her mother. She should surpass her as she grows older."_

"My...mother?" Camilla locked eyes with the mysterious woman. "You...knew her?"

_"I know her quite well, dear."_ The woman replied._ "Do not speak of her as though she is something of the past. She is still quite alive." _

Camilla looked to her father to see him nod before she turned back to the woman again. "Where is she?"

_"I am to bring you to her." _The woman held out her hand for her to take. _"Now, come along." _When Camilla made no move to accept the gesture, her father slipped his arms away from her and took a step back.

"Go with her, Camilla." The warmth left his eyes, and face. This was an order, and she was to follow obediently. Camilla hesitated, but she did as her father told her, taking the woman's hand.

She made no attempt to go further than that, however. "Can't you come with me, father? Don't...don't you want to see mother, too?"

_"He cannot accompany us to where we are about to venture." _The woman answered in his place. _"While he maybe your father by blood, he is still a human."_

Camilla's heart sank. "What...what are you talking about?"

_"Your mother is a vampire, dear Camilla."_

"...That...can't be."

_"Gavriel." _The woman brought his attention away from his daughter's frightened expression. _"She wants to see you. You know that, don't you?"_

"And I, her." Gavriel replied with a smirk.

_"Then," _The woman let go of Camilla's hand and walked to her father. When she was within arms reach, she stopped. What followed was silence as the two stared at one another. It was long before a word was exchanged, _"Won't you come see her? She smiles only when she thinks of you. I would think of nothing else that would bring her more joy than to have you in her arms again."_

"Alma," Gavriel addressed the woman, closing his eyes. "I cannot. You know just as much as I do what would have to pass in order for that to be possible."

_"Is it so terrible if it is the only way you two can be together again?"_

"To live in the shadows for all eternity?" Gavriel questioned, his eyes still closed. "I would cherish so dearly, my dying moments in the light."

_"...So be it...human." _Alma's words were filled with disgust and perhaps even hatred, but Camilla was somehow sure that they masked a deep sadness. _"She told me that you were stubborn...but...but to be so cold...so...so dumb and brainless!" _ She turned away from him, the darkness underneath the brim of her hat concealing the features of her face once more. She walked to grab Camilla's hand again and walked a few paces before coming to a halt.

_"Farewell Gavriel...may God know how blessed he is to have the love of a fool such as yourself."_

"And farewell to you as well, Alma. Tell her that I love her...I always will."

_"Such words from lips other than your own...they would mean nothing." _Those were her parting words. She walked on, her grip on Camilla's hand tightening painfully.

Camilla was able to bear the first few steps, but as she felt herself getting further and further away, her legs began to weigh. Her desire to see her mother was withering, and before Alma realized it, she was struggling to keep the girl from breaking away from her.

"FATHER!" Camilla reached out to the tall figure standing before the horizon. "I've changed my mind! I've changed it! I don't want to go!"

_He made no response. _

_"FATHER! TAKE ME BACK!"_

_He watched on._

_**"FATHER!"

* * *

**_

Camilla's eyes went from still to shifting from side to side as she finally regained awareness. A fly that had been crawling around her face fluttered its wings and took flight once she ran a hand against it. She'd been sitting on a lone rock, looking to the ground since they found the rendezvous point where they were to make contact with Melchiah's battalion. The knights serving under her command watched her from afar as she remained that way for almost half an hour at the least.

"Commander." Camilla turned her head to find Seraphina Elman standing at her side. Her snow white hair was no longer so pure. There was a stain of crimson coating the strands on the left side of her head. The scent of wolven blood was strong. "Are you well?"

Camilla looked away from her and answered after a moment of silence, "I'm fine. Worry for your fellow knights, not myself."

"You needn't be that way, commander."

"How are the others?" Camilla responded, seemingly ignoring her words. "Are any of them seriously wounded from that summoning?"

"Nothing that Morrigan can't handle." Seraphina replied. "As for those with minor injuries, they're far too distracted by the appearance of our unexpected ally to feel the sting." The short vampiress gestured to the knights that were gathering around, Evangeline McDowell. Lucinda McVicar was getting particularly close to the new arrival.

"I see." Camilla brushed a strand of blood red hair from her face before standing up. She adjusted the sheath of her blade and turned to walk in the direction of the gathering crowd, hand resting upon the pummel of her blade the entire time. When the knights saw her approaching they parted a way fro her to meet with the blonde vampiress, all with the exception of Lucinda who stood beside her.

"Evangeline McDowell, was it?" Camilla asked.

"That would be it." Evangeline replied, crossing her arms with a subtle smirk. "I'll assume that you don't recognize me. It would explain why you regard me with such unfamiliar eyes."

Camilla blinked. "You'll have to forgive me if that is the case. Its hard to remember faces apart from those who fight alongside me."

"I've taken no offense, if that's what you mean." Evangeline replied. "Though I think that will change, now that I've saved you from death." Her words made the commander's left eye twitch irritably. She didn't like the tone of this girl. She also didn't take too well to her saying that out loud with all of her knights standing around within ear shot, though her next words sent an odd vibe through her. "I would never forget the face of a savior."

Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "What is this, commander?" The silver haired knight directed a smirk at Camilla that left her feeling irritated. "You two share a past with each other?" Of course, her words always held some sort of double meaning.

"Like I said," Camilla glared at Lucinda to have her back away before she got within groping distance, "I don't recall ever meeting with you, McDowell. You do have my gratitude for your assistance, however."

_...Silence..._

"Well, then?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow expectantly. The sudden question caught the commander off guard. Was she expecting some kind of reward or something? Where did she think she was? They weren't exactly situated anywhere for that sort of thing to take place.

"What?" Camilla nearly blurted out, a tint of pink betraying her embarrassment at flinching as it tingled her cheeks. "You have my thanks. What more do you desire of me?"

"I want nothing." Evangeline answered casually. "If I was commander, however-"

"Which you're not..." Camilla interrupted with a slight frown.

Evangeline paused for a moment before resuming what she was going to say, "...I'd be particularly interested in someone that just slayed an earth golem, single handedly." The blonde wizard rolled her eyes away from Camilla playfully before returning her sights to her, a smirk on her lips. "Wouldn't you be?"

"..." Camilla remained silent, her eyes narrowing somewhat. _I'm already beginning to dislike this girl more and more._ "Why would I recruit someone like yourself?"

Evangeline blinked. "I believe I just gave you a plausible reason." She unfolded her arms and placed both hands on her hips with one eyebrow raised. Camilla wasn't sure if it was just her instinctive pride kicking in again or if the young woman was actually giving her a look one would direct at an idiot. Whatever it meant, she didn't take too kindly to it. Sure, she would have to admit that this girl might have saved her from a near death experience, but something about the way she behaved...there was just something about her that didn't make her intentions for saving her seem genuinely noble. She was trying to reach some sort of goal, and Camilla just happened to be one of the gears that would allow the machination to run as planned.

"I certainly approve of her proposition." Lucinda threw in her two cents.

"Hold your tongue, McVicar." Seraphina hissed at her fellow knight. She did this while glaring at the silver haired knight, but it didn't quite get her the same effect as it did whenever she reprimanded the other knights in the battalion. McVicar merely grinned at her like a defiant child. It sure took some balls to do that, and yet, we were referring to _'her'._ That was saying something, by the way, and for those who didn't understand that...well...read, read, read!

"What do you wish to achieve through this?" Camilla posed the question that had been plaguing her since Evangeline brought up the idea. Her sharp eyes detected a change in the blonde girl's posture almost immediately after she inquiry. "Are you a mercenary of some sort? Do you want payment?" Camilla stepped toward Evangeline, eyes sharp and lethal. "What is it? What do you want?"

Evangeline's smile returned. "I want to be involved."

"What for?"

"Do I really need a reason?" She crossed her arms again. "I'm tired of wandering. I'd like to find my place somewhere."

"And you intend to do this by putting your life at risk for a cause you know nothing about?"

"Where is the need for knowledge in something as simple as killing your enemy?"

Evangeline's response to her question disturbed Camilla. "...Much need, young lady." Camilla turned away from her to walk away. "You will leave my camp."

"I don't think I will."

_Camilla stopped_ _at Evangeline's response..._

"I came here to meet you, Camilla."

"I tire of your voice."

"I'm here to have you fulfill a promise you made to me when we last met."

_...A promise? _Camilla turned around to face her with a look of bewilderment. "...When was it that we-"

"Commander!" Camilla stopped in mid-sentence when she was interrupted, taking a long moment to study Evangeline's face before finally turning to her left to acknowledge Morrigan Slade. The young, white mage appeared to be anxious. "Commander Clementine, has arrived."

"Very well." Camilla nodded before looking to Seraphina and gesturing for her to accompany her.

"Ma'am!" Seraphina complied, rushing to her side.

"I'll speak with you later, Evangeline." With that, Camilla and Seraphina had Morrgian lead them to Melchiah and his battalion. When the three of them were out of ear shot, Lucinda threw an arm around Evangeline's shoulder as a friendly gesture.

"You're growing on her already."

"What gives you that idea?" Evangeline asked, uncomfortable with how physical the woman had become.

"She called you by your first name." Luinda replied before looking away, placing a finger upon her chin thoughtfully. "...She's never done that with any of us." She looked back to Evangeline when she slipped her arm off her shoulder. Apparently she wasn't the touching type. That was fine though. They all started that way.

"And you might be?" Evangeline asked, looking as though she just touched a slug.

"McVicar." Lucinda told her with a mocking bow. "Lucinda McVicar, at your service."

"I don't think I'll have you at my beck and call."

Lucinda smirked. "Quite contrary, my lady. I think you'll change your mind about that if you gave me a chance."

"Unsavory choice of words."

"Why so cold, love?" Lucinda pouted. "What's wrong with making a friend?"

Evangeline blinked. "Friend?"

"What seems to be the issue?" Lucinda quirked a brow. "Is the concept of friendship so foreign to you?"

"No." Evangeline replied with a shake of her head. "It's just never been a subject of interest to me." Her words made the silver haired woman bring a hand to her heart and clench it in a dramatic fashion. This McVicar woman was quite the character, it would have seemed. She didn't look like she was predictable either. Evangeline was going to have to make sure that she kept that in mind, just in case. Trust wasn't exactly one of her strong suits, in case you had not noticed.

"Oh, the deprivation!" Lucinda cried out melodramatically. "It brings a tear to my eye!"

"I'm not opposed to smacking someone I've just met." Evangeline said with a cool smirk.

Lucinda teetered at her words. "I suppose that is fair, however, I'd like to be your first."

Evangeline fought back a blush. "What lewd implications are you-"

"Not so forward." Lucinda held up a hand as she cut her off. "I meant, I would like to be your first friend, of course."

"I thought I made myself clear that friendship does not interest me."

"Why, Eva," Lucinda looked to her for some confirmation, "If I may call you that..."

"No." Evangeline refused her.

"McDowell, then?"

"I see no other alternative."

"McDowell, it is." Lucinda said with a nod. "I think you just haven't met the right person yet."

"And you are?"

"If I might be so bold...indeed, I am." Lucinda answered with a smile. It wasn't until she realized that Evangeline's attention had shifted away from her, that her lips twitched downwards. It really hurt her pride to find someone who wasn't even remotely interested in her. She waved a hand in front of the blonde vampire's face, getting an eye twitch in response. "What seems to be the matter?" Lucinda glanced over her shoulder to find Reina looking at Evangeline from the other side of the camp. The normally stoic young woman had an odd intensity in her eyes as she kept her eyes locked with the newest arrival.

"Who is that?" Evangeline asked with interest, her eyes never leaving the woman in question.

"Reina Tepes, would be the name of that fine warrior." Lucinda answered her question with a suggestive wink. "Interested?"

Evangeline didn't answer immediately, staring a little longer before turning away, replying, "No, not really."

"You could have fooled me." Lucinda said, folding her hands behind her head as she raised one leg like a flamingo.

"Like I said," Evangeline looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, "She's of no interest to me." With that, Evangeline took her leave of Lucinda to find a spot far away to meditate. Lucinda watched her walk off and licked her lips before turning away to do that same.

While first impressions were made, Camilla was busy with other matters, meeting with her fellow commander, Melchiah Clementine. Coming to the far end of the camp that her knights had set up for the evening, she was met by a tall, gentleman donning dark armor. His hair was short, spreading out in all directions behind his head like the spines of a porcupine, with a two long strands curving over the left side of his face, partly concealing a cobalt eye. His facial features were handsome enough, sporting a stubble of hair on the chin that wasn't too unpleasant, but it didn't do much for Camilla's eyes. Behind him stood a battalion of knights, a few men and women. One of them, a young woman wearing a black cloak appeared to stand a bit closer to him than what Camilla considered to be adequate.

_This is the support that Mistress Beatrix sends me? _Camilla crossed her arms, doing a look over of Melciah's knights before shifting her eyes back to his face, and that confident smirk. Oh, how she hated that smirk. She just wanted to punch him from looking at him.

"I hope the journey has not been too taxing, Clementine." Camilla began, seeing as how her fellow commander seemed content to stare.

"Not as much as you might have hoped, Camilla."

* * *

[ **_EPISODE I, END_**]


	7. Moonlight Temptress

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

_(Fine...Harem Route will be back on track...With a vote, of course.)  
_

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**Chapter Seven: She Who Embodies Lust **_

_By Traingham_

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Shadows were closing in on him, and any hopes of escape seemed to be out of reach. A young Kotaro walked through the endless, dark hall that stretched out before him like a pathway toward an ominous fate, his tail finding cover between his legs as though it had sensed something that even he was still unaware of, and yet his tiny feet carried him further and further. Something about this mysterious place just felt so wrong, yet so familiar. Where was he heading, and why? Why did it seem as if there was no place to go back to?

_The young dog demon looked over his shoulder to find something similar to what was in front of him; nothing more than a hall stretching deep into the darkness. _

Well...this was awkward...

"Wait a second..." Kotaro heard a weak voice escape his mouth, and he gasped. He looked down at his body and blinked a few times before looking out into the distance with a dumbfounded expression. "What the hell is going on here? Why am I so short?" He wrapped a hand around his throat gently, and forced himself to cough. "Why do I sound like such a wimp?"

Suddenly, it started happening again. Kotaro felt his legs wobble as the hall started to rumble violently. He whipped his head around in very direction in search of the source of the sudden tremors, but no matter where he looked, he was faced with nothing more than dark passages. The walls started to crack, and an ominous chanting escaped them like a scene out of an epic full length film. Trumpets started playing, accompanied by violins, creating an atmosphere that spoke words of panic. Kotaro took that as his cue to start pumping his short legs for all they were worth. Cold sweat started trailing down his forehead, and he grit his teeth.

"HEY!" He looked up to what he believed to be the ceiling to find the sky swirling with clouds that formed a portal to some unknown destination. The chanting got fiercer, and drums started pounding loudly, foretelling an impending doom. "THIS ISN'T COOL!" The young dog demon screamed, angered by the injustice of all that was happening. Why was this sort of thing happening to him in the first place? He didn't understand. When was this going to en-oh- wait...what happened?

"Hm?" Kotaro skidded to a halt when the chanting came to an unexpected stop, taking the violent tremors along with it. "...Wait a second..." His small eyes focused on two tall figures standing in the distance. They both opened their eyes to stare back at him with glowing red orbs, and smiled, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. "Oh, c'mon..." Kotaro felt his legs shaking, this time from fear.

"KOTARO." Both of them said his name at the same time in deep voices that sent chills down his spine. "TIME TO DIE!"

Kotaro could only swallow hard at their words before opening his mouth to let out a-

* * *

**_[ Reality... ]  
_**

**_-

* * *

  
_**

**_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _**Kotaro let out a girlish scream, eyes shut tight, flailing his arms at some invisible assailants before he opened one eye to find himself in the corner of a well lit room. From the looks of the furniture, he appeared to be in some sort of living room, and a fancy one at that. A black leather couch was set up against the wall that his left shoulder was pressed up against. The wall across from it had a family portrait of an elegant looking woman in a blue kimono. Her dark, raven hair looked rather long with tall dog-like ears protruding from the top of her head. She had gray, or silver eyes _(it was hard to tell from the color used for the painting) _with a button nose, and a smirk that looked strangely sinister in the young man's eyes. Posing in the portrait with her were three young children, two girls and one boy. The boy resembling Kotaro stood between the two girls with a forced grin on his face while the two girls whom both resembled younger versions of Kanako, and Caska had their arms around his shoulder with genuine smiles. In the background stood a proud tree, raining down cherry blossoms upon the four of them in a warm scene.

"Oh..." Kotaro put his arms down and sighed. "Now I remember where I am." He grumbled, lifting a finger to touch his right eye. He could feel it swelling. He must have lost consciousness at some point during the beat down from his sisters. _And I'm guessing that they're the reason I just had that nightmare._

"Oh, you're awake." Kotaro turned his head to find Caska standing at the entry way to the living room with her hands on her hips. "Took you long enough."

"...Evil..." He muttered.

"What was that?" Caska approached him, towering over his crumpled form when she stopped to look down on him.

"Nothing." Kotaro lied.

"I figured as much." The intimidating young woman said with a slow nod before she reached down to grab his arm. She felt his muscles tense under her grip and she smirked mischievously before yanking him up to his feet against his will. Kotaro jerked his arm out of her grasp when he was back on his two feet, and leaned into the corner again, directing a gaze at her that would have melted the polar ice caps. "Oh, don't look at me like that." She told him with a pout.

"You just gave me a beating." He growled at her. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because I just saved you from something much worse." Caska replied with a smug grin. "You should be grateful that I didn't let Kanako have her way. She was probably planning on killing you."

"Oh, sure." Kotaro grumbled, looking to the side. "You probably would have enjoyed it anyway." His eyes widened, however, when he suddenly felt the tip of her nails against his throat. His eyeballs directed themselves back to her pretty face to find a cold gaze staring back at him. "What? You're gonna deny it?"

"Look, runt, don't act like some victim." Caska told him in a whisper. "What did you expect, suddenly returning from what others assumed to be your death? Three years passed ever since the day you left town against mother's orders. Not only did you almost jeopardize her position as elder, but you left quite a few people devastated..." Caska looked over her shoulder to check if anyone was eavesdropping on them before turning back to her brother to continue, "...including Kanako." Her eyes narrowed at him imperceptibly. "Of course, you're so dumb that it probably never occurred to you while you went out on your _wonderful_ adventures with, Fenrir knows, who."

"Hey-"

"Tell me, Kotaro." Caska interrupted him. "Did you gain anything from leaving?"

Kotaro matched her gaze with one just as fierce, and went on, "Yeah, I did."

"And what would that have been?" Caska challenged him, clenching her teeth.

"A family." He replied boldly before he saw her expression twist into something frightening. Her eyes widened dangerously, and nose wrinkled deeply before she backed up quickly, and delivered a slap to the side of his face that was nothing more than a blur to his eyes. The force of her smack almost made him whip around but he managed to stand his ground, only allowing his head to turn to the side.

"How dare you?" Caska fumed.

"Come on..." Kotaro wiped his mouth to find blood trickling from a cut on his lip. "Let's be realistic. The old woman never saw the three of us as anything more than a way to enter the court of the elders. After our old man died, she changed and you know it."

"Look, I don't like her anymore than you do, but this was still your family, all the same."

"Some family." Kotaro spat. "You two just let her do as she wished, especially, Kanako. That girl looks like she'll fit in just fine with what that old woman has planned for her. I'm sure that _'Whaz his name'_ will find her to be the perfect bride when she gives her away to him."

"That isn't any of your business-"

"And tell me, Caska." Kotaro cut her off. "How are things going between you and Kamui?"

"Don't make me hurt you, kid." Caska growled at him. "And for your information, things won't be happening between me and that stuck up bastard."

"Heh, damn hypocrite." Kotaro quipped.

"You-"

"What is going on here?" Caska and Kotaro froze in place when they heard Kanako's voice. They both turned their attention to the short young woman, and Caska let go of her brother before turning to face her, saying, "Nothing, nothing! Really, is it any of your business?"

"Look, mother is coming here so get him to the dining room." Kanako ordered her sister. Her eyes swiveled from Caska to Kotaro. "And show her some respect or you'll have to deal with me later."

"Then get yourself ready." Kotaro told the bespectacled woman.

"...Ungrateful brat!" Kanako snarled at him. "You'll do as she tells you!" With those words, she entered the room and approached the both of them quickly before pushing Caska aside roughly and grabbing him by the arm. "Come with me!"

"I don't understand you!" Kotaro snapped at her as she pulled him along with her.

"What's not to understand?" Kanako barked back at him, never relenting in her forceful escort. He attempted to break out of her hold, but no matter how hard he pulled, her fingers remained clamped around his arm in a vice grip that nearly cut off his blood circulation. She managed to get him into the dining room, which looked fit for a noble. The table was probably long enough to seat a party of fourteen. Six guests could eat on both sides of the table with one at each end. Naturally their mother would sit at the head of the table since she was in control of the family, though with her absence, Kotaro started to wonder what may have changed in his time away. Did she live with his sisters anymore?

Kanako pulled a seat for him and shot him a stern look. "Now sit!"

"...Coming here my have been a waste after all." Kotaro grumbled, doing as he was told. _I'd have a better chance at improving myself without their help. These two have already fallen into that old woman's hands._

"What was that?" Kanako asked when he was seated.

"Nothing." Kotaro lied, looking up at her. They both remained in that position, looking to each other silently until they both heard the door knocker bang against the door a few times. She was finally here, and to Kotaro's disgust, Kanako simply broke their eye contact without a moments hesitation and rushed to go answer it. Caska stood by the arched entry way to the dining room and looked at him, leaning against it.

"What?" Kotaro asked of her.

"Nothing really. "Caska answered him. "I just think it's going to be pretty interesting to see how this unfolds."

"You want to watch me triumph where you've failed? Is that it?" Kotaro taunted his sister without so much as a grin or smirk. He intended for those words to strike hard, however, unlike her reactions to his words in the living room, she seemed to take it without protest. She accepted it.

"Yeah...maybe." Caska replied, catching him off guard. "I suppose you were always stronger than I was when it came to that woman." She offered him a small smirk that confused him. Where was this suddenly coming from. He though that she would be fuming after their argument earlier. It only transpired a few minutes ago. Could she have possibly been so accepting of his words in such little time? "Maybe that's why I was a little jealous of you."

"Wait a second-" He reached out to her but she walked away.

_Jealous of me? _Kotaro echoed her words in his mind before another person entered the room. Long, dark silk danced from left to right with each step she took like a cape of darkness. Her silver orbs fixed upon him without a hint of emotion. His mother had not changed much from the last time they had met face to face. She still retained her youthful appearance. Of course, that was to be expected. Their kind hardly aged. Even the other elders didn't look much older than what a human being would appear to be, in their late thirties at most.

"Yuzuki..." Kotaro said the name of his mother calmly.

"Son." The elegant woman before him addressed his title with little to no emotion. Her black kimono touched the floor, having it appear as though there was nothing more than a void under her feet that would swallow everything in her path. It was most appropriate to see it that way. This woman, after all, did nothing more than that. She married off their oldest sister, Junko Inugami, in order to mend relations between her and the high elder, Ryota Tsukino. After Junko disrespected his son in what she claimed to be self defense, Yuzuki found that her influence in the court started to waver. She cast off her own daughter as a gift to Ryota's son to regain that lost influence, if not go even further than that by becoming his sister-in-law through the marriage. Things were quite shady in the Elder's court, but then again, when weren't things that way when it came to politics? Until this very day Kotaro still could not understand how their mother was able to break Junko's spirit so easily. How else could she have been able to force the young woman to marry that tyrant's son if not through destroying her?

_And now you have Kanako following your lead..._ Kotaro thought, looking to his sister as she glared at him from the entryway. She obviously didn't take kindly to the fact that he addressed their mother like she was some sort of stranger, but in Kotaro's eyes he wouldn't accept this devious woman in any other way. To call her mother would be like allowing her to sink her claws into him. The smallest crack was all the elder Inugami needed to have her way. She was that damn clever.

"I knew you would return eventually." Yuzuki said, waiting as Kanako rushed to pull back her seat so she could sit.

"What made you so sure?" Kotaro asked her, not sounding very convinced. "I heard that you all thought I died in the blizzard surrounding the mountains."

"After having trained you myself, I wouldn't look down upon your abilities to survive so easily." His mother responded, a ghost of a smirk playing upon her lips as she took her seat, folding her hands upon her lap. "Of course, you never finished your training. You left the town before I could meet our end of the deal."

_Deal? _Kanako furrowed her brows upon hearing that word leave her mother's mouth.

"Marrying me off to that man's daughter?" Kotaro scoffed. "Did you honestly think that I would let you?"

"No, of course not." She replied, unaffected by his disrespect. "But I knew that you hungered deeply to know the secret arts of our family. Seeing how hard you trained so hard under my regiment despite how much you despised me was enough proof of that. I didn't think that you were so low as to escape though." This time the smirk didn't leave her face after she spoke her final words. She knew that it would strike a chord in her son, and seeing as how he clenched his teeth tightly, it struck soundly.

"And here we are again." The elder Inugami mused. "We're back where we left off."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're back to finish your training, aren't you?" She asked, her voice taking on a tone that threw her son off. It almost sounded as though she was disappointed in him for returning. Just what went on in this woman's head? "You've come back to claim the only thing you ever desired from me. It seems that you do need me after all." She watched Kotaro narrow his eyes at her. "Tell me, does it hurt you to turn to me for help? Do you hate me so?"

"Maybe." Kotaro answered her. "It's kind of hard to tell sometimes."

"You wound me deeply."

"Don't act like you care. Just lay down your conditions so I can get this over with."

"Planning on leaving again?"

"I never intended to stay." Kotaro replied, eliciting a soft gasp from Kanako. "I have things I'd like to take care of."

"I see." Yuzuki said, closing her eyes. "Then I will tell you...my conditions have not changed."

"...Fine." Kotaro stood up. "Then this was a waste of time after all."

"But wouldn't you like to know something interesting?" The older woman asked, holding out a hand to keep Kanako from restraining the young man.

"...What?" Kotaro asked after a moment of silence.

"_She_ knows." Yuzuki said, simply. Kanako didn't understand the meaning of her mother's words, however, they appeared to impact Kotaro. The young man regarded his mother with a look of unadulterated disbelief. She could only be referring to one individual, and unfortunately, _she_ was where the core of his problems lied. Her very existence was the reason he escaped in the first place.

"You've got to be joking..."

"No, I'm not." She insisted, her eyes never opening. "I've been training her long before I even began with you."

"...You...you..." Kotaro clenched both of his hands tightly. His tongue felt swollen. He wanted to say something, but his mind was so clouded with anger that he just couldn't get the words out.

"I'm sure she would gladly unveil her secrets to you since you want them so badly." Yuzuki told him, finally opening her eyes again. "All you must do is ask."

"You mean, marry her." Kotaro countered. He waved her off with a hand. "Forget about it. I'm out of here."

"Tomoko." At Yuzuki's call, Kotaro froze in place. She seriously didn't bring her along, did she?

_Tomo is here? _Kotaro's mind suddenly went in so many different directions that it was impossible for him to think clearly.

"Yeah, Elder Inugami?" A young woman revealed herself, stepping in the way out of the dining room. Her hair reminded Kotaro of the snow that blanketed the grounds beyond the mountain, done in a long, thin ponytail that nearly touched the floor with two thin bangs hanging in front of her lovely face like antennas. Her eyes were inky black, almost as though they would melt into the white of her eyes, and her skin complexion was a little dark, however, in an odd sense; it seemed unnatural somehow. Her lips had a tint of blue that matched the color of her odd style of dress. She had on a tight fitting top, stopping at her midriff that accentuated the curve of her upper body, and baggy pants that ended in folds on the bottom. The scarf she wore around her neck seemed to wrap around her waist like a snake. The style would appear to have its origins in the middle eastern fashion world.

"...She sure looks different." Kotaro muttered under his breath, his eyes drinking in the sight of her a little more appreciatively than he would have liked. Hormones were a curse for males his age. "She looks a lot different from the brat I knew before."

"I heard that, dear." Tomoko told him, directing a fierce gaze at him. "It looks like time hasn't done much to change that attitude of yours."

"I could say the same." Kotaro retorted before going on to say, "And don't call me _'dear'_."

"Or what?" Tomoko asked, placing her hands on her shapely hips. "Going to growl at me?"

"Don't push me."

"What could you possibly do?" Tomoko taunted him. "Elder Inugami has taken me far beyond what she'd taught you. At my current knowledge, I could be your sensei." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Now, bow to me."

"You-" Kotaro bit back the word he wanted to say. "Grrr...Out of my way!" Kotaro walked her way to pass her, but she prevent him from going any further, getting in his way. The way her lips curled into a cocky smirk did well to set the young man off.

"Going to run out on me again, dear?" She asked, her arms crossed defiantly. "That wouldn't be very responsible of you, would it?"

"Step aside...please." Kotaro told her, but she didn't move a muscle.

"Don't force me to move you myself."

_She made no response._

"FINE!" He snarled, however, as soon as his hand made contact with her shoulder, she grabbed him by the wrist, and him forward while delivering an elbow assault that had him doubling up for air. It was all so fast that he never stood a chance of defending himself. "What..." He coughed out, raising his head to look up at her from his hunched over position. _What was that? What did she just do to me?_

"You don't have the privilege of touching me unless I give it to you, got that? If you want me that bad then just marry me." She told him softly as she leaned over him before she planted her foot on his head, grinding her heel painfully. "Now stay put!" She ended her command by shoving him onto his back with her foot.

"You're not leaving unless I give you permission." Tomoko blew him a kiss. "So be a good boy, and do as I say."

"Who gave you that authority?" Kotaro yelled at his fiance.

"Why, I did." Yuzuki answered in Tomoko's place.

"Oh yeah?" Kotaro asked, getting back to his feet. "Well, I ain't listenin', got that?"

"By all means..." His mother's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Defy me."

"Don't have to tell me twice." He assured her before looking back to Tomoko. The girl didn't even assume a stance. _She seems pretty confident of herself, doesn't she? Damn...but that last hit nearly knocked me cold. The old woman must have taught her well..._

"Are you going to try to move me again?"

"...No." His reply even got his mother curious. "I'll just try the window!" At his declaration, Kanako, and Tomoko shot death glares at him, but the young man merely smirked at them before running for the window at the other end of the dining room, and crashing through it. The sound of crashing glass made Caska run in to see what had gone on.

"What the hell?" Caska cried out in surprise. _How does he keep on doing this to her? I swear, he's something else..._

"That idiot!" Kanako screamed, her face turning red.

"Well, I should have expected as much." Yuzuki said with no indication of being caught off guard by her son's unexpected escape route. He could be so impulsive sometimes. "Tomoko," She looked to her future daughter-in-law, "Your husband just escaped."

Tomoko smirked before nodding. "Understood. I'll go get him." And with that, she disappeared in the blink of an eye.

_Creepy..._ Caska felt a shiver run down her spine before she felt her mother's eyes on her.

"Ah, Caska." Yuzuki smiled.

The short haired young woman's ears twitched at the sound of being addressed by her mother. "Yeah?" Caska responded, placing a hand on her hip. She found it hard to keep cool whenever her mother focused on her. She could always tell that it wouldn't be pleasant.

"And how are things going with, Kamui?"

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]  
**_

* * *

"Salutations there, newcomer." Negi was brought out of his admiration of the dark manor upon being greeted by a woman who had been sitting on the fountain ledge. He wasn't sure if she had been seated there the entire time he had been observing the town square, but he was sure that he'd seen nobody walk past him or in front of him for that matter. He would have easily sensed any sort of movement with his heightened senses, and yet, regarding this woman even now, there was something intangible about her. She was beyond his senses; there was something about her that just felt abnormal to him. How could there have been a better way to explain it? She felt as though she did not belong on this plane of existence, an anomaly, one would say; however, at the same time there was something about her that was charming...irresistible, even. It was as though there had to be an exception made for her existence, that something so inhumanely beautiful could be standing on solid ground with a form that should have been forbidden to see.

_Ah...why am I thinking like this_? Negi put the emergency breaks on his thought flow_. I'd better greet her back before she thinks I'm rude. _

"Hello." The young magi greeted her back with a hesitant wave. "Sorry...I didn't see you there before."

"I know." She said with a knowing nod. "You were much too busy admiring my mansion back there." She tossed her chin in the direction of her home in an alluring fashion, her hair slipping down the side of her shoulder as she did like satin drapes. "It seems rather out of place, doesn't it?"

"Oh, wow." Negi blinked. "You live there?"

"Is it so surprising?" The woman asked with a subtle smirk. "Does it seem unfit for someone like myself?" There was a hint of amusement in her sultry voice, but the young vampire had the feeling that he might have offended her with that question.

"N-No, I meant nothing like that." Negi assured her quickly. "It's just, I never expected to be greeted by anyone from around here." When she blinked at his words, he decided to clarify his message. "I mean, there wasn't exactly much of a welcoming to begin with, as you can see." He gestured to the deserted streets behind him. Had one ever been so bold as to insert a tumble weed-

"Did something happen?" Negi inquired curiously. "Is everyone sick, or is there a curfew?"

"It would be rather unpleasant to walk the streets out into this fog, don't you think?" She answered his question with one of her own.

"Well, sure..." He agreed with her words, yet there was a bit of suspicion in the back of his mind. _So then how would you explain your presence? I'm sure a walk from that mansion wouldn't be too pleasant if that was the case..._ His eyes searched for a source of transportation to find nothing in sight. _...This just feels a bit unsettling._

"Out of curiosity, what bring you here?" The mysterious woman suddenly asked.

"Er, actually I just got lost in the fog." Negi answered her. "I just happened to find myself here as I walked through it." He explained to her with a nervous laugh before holding a hand over his eyes to stare far out into the distance, which was to say that he was trying to look far beyond the manor with his enhanced eyesight. From his vantage point, he could make out some tiny chips on the very bricks that made up the large structure quite easily. It was nothing more than a simple feat for him, and yet, the fog appeared to be so thick that it was simply impossible to see through. It was almost as though it was forming a dome around the town. Could something like this really be considered normal?

"Have you anyplace to rest for the night?"

"Um, excuse me?" Negi quirked a brow at her question.

"I'd assume that you wouldn't be planning anything so reckless as to venture out into that cloud."

"...Well..." _I have more than a few advantages over a normal person in this situation._

"Why don't you come with me until it clears out?" She offered him.

"No...I couldn't do that." Negi politely declined her offer. "I'm sure there has to be an inn somewhere around here, right?"

"Unfortunately not." She replied. "If one were available I would have directed you to it."

"But I wouldn't want to impose."

"Don't be silly." She told him before she stood up from the fountain. She made her way around to the side of it, and beckoned him with a finger. "Follow me."

Now there was something to be said about a woman that would invite a stranger to her home at this hour, especially when there was a fog out, and god knows who or what could have been shrouded in it. Who was to say that he wasn't some manner of criminal waiting for just this sort of opportunity? How could someone be so trusting?

"What do you think, Zero-chan?" Negi asked his familiar, adding the honorific at the end out of habit. "Do you think we should take her offer?"

"I don't know...but there's something weird going on." The puppet replied. "Although at this point there really isn't much of a reason to refuse her." _But why do I feel like I've seen this woman before? Is there something that I'm forgetting to take notice of?_

_"Are you coming?"_ Negi turned his head back in the woman's direction when she called his attention. She was in the same position she had been in when she beckoned him to her earlier. Had she been observing him the entire time he'd spoken to his familiar? He sure hoped not. Something like that wasn't exactly an everyday spectacle for the mundane. The most she could make of a scene like that would have been that he was some sort of psychopath and yet she took that moment to smile at him as if to ease his insecurities.

Either she didn't see him, or she just didn't mind...creepy...

"Um, yeah. I'm coming." Negi replied, hurrying along to her. When they were side by side, she lead him to a horse drawn carriage that had been parked behind the large gargoyle statue. That would have explained a lot about how she got to the town square, but there was still something off about it. Staring at the four black horses that scraped at the stone pavement with their hooves, Negi wasn't sure why he had not heard them before. The carriage was elaborately crafted, black wood, and polished to a shine. There were carvings of odd winged beings sitting upon the top corners of the carriage with harps in their hands; They resembled sirens if one studied them carefully enough, but time appeared to have worn them. Sitting at the front of the carriage with the reigns gripped in their hands were two young women dressed in elegant, dark uniforms. They both looked similar to each other with short blonde hair, and stoic expressions that spoke of a superiority over the common class. It was rather hard to make out their eyes, however. Shadows loomed over them like blindfolds.

_And now I'm just a little disturbed..._

"Don't keep me waiting." Negi snapped his attention away from the two young women to find that his mysterious acquaintance had already gotten into the carriage, waiting for him inside with her hands folded upon her lap.

"Sorry about that." He told apologetically before joining her inside. After settling in on the seat across from her, he reached for the door to close it only to find it shut tight. _I don't remember hearing them clo- _Before he could finish his train of thought, the carriage jerked backwards, almost sending him into the woman's lap, but he gripped the back rest quickly with his reflexes saving him from the embarrassment. "Whoa...that was unexpected." He muttered to himself.

"You appear to be very nervous." His host told him softly.

"I apologize." Negi told her, massaging the back of his neck. "It's just...I'm not used to this."

"To what?"

"This atmosphere." Negi replied. "I've never been to a town like this one."

"Ah, you might say that it stands out from the ordinary?"

"That's exactly what I meant." Negi replied, slapping his knee gently to emphasize how well she expressed it.

"Well, new experiences tend to be pleasant."

"I suppose so. I guess it really depends on who you're with." The naive young man said, good naturedly.

"Then allow me the honor of making this one a pleasure you'll soon never forget..."

* * *

**_[ Moonlight Manor... ]_**

* * *

Meeting the woman at the town square, and talking with her in the carriage, Negi expected her mansion to be classy. He expected to find a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the main hall with paintings hanging from the walls, and china decks with wine glasses. He expected many of the things that he saw in movies about high class families; however, upon entering the manor with the voluptuous woman, he was met with something a little different. That was to say that there was gothic architecture, and gas lamps, marble walls, and suits of armor that appeared to range from different periods. The floors were polished to the point that the young magi could see himself walking within the reflection of the floor; It was like walking on water. Swords hung from the walls in the place of paintings that he expected to find. The only thing he was right about were the china decks. This place was seriously something out of an old painting. Hmm...was there something he was forgetting to catch onto? He didn't know why, but he could swear that there was a little voice in the back if his mind screaming bloody murder...or perhaps that was just one of Evangeline's death threats returning after a long times suppression.

"This is amazing." Negi marveled at everything he passed by. "How were you able to get your hands on all of this?" He looked to his host, walking in front of him with such fluid movements that her dress appeared to glide over the floor. At the same time there was something about the way she carried herself that spoke of more than simply elegance. The way she moved made him slightly cautious around her for some reason, but he wasn't entirely sure why.

"Time is something that has never been out of reach for me." She replied vaguely, raising an eyebrow on the young magi's face. "Of course, you'll find that I can be very persuasive when I find a need to be. Obtaining these antiques pose no obstacles when you understand how to talk to someone."

_...I suppose I could understand that. Most of these look like they belong in a national museum. _Negi thought, coming to a halt when she stopped at a lighted entry way. Negi looked over his shoulder to find a long hall stretching out behind him. Did they really have to walk that much to reach the first room? Just how big was this place?

"Please, after you." She told him, gesturing for him to enter.

"...Okay." Negi fought against his initial hesitation to comply, and walked in to find a grand dining hall. A long table stretched out from one side to the other, but by looking to the left end _(Since from his point of view the table stretched from his left to right.) _he found that the table could be separated into sections. There was a section separated away from the rest to seat two people, seeing as how there were already two setting with forks, knives, spoons, and glasses with handkerchiefs folded within them. Two young women dressed in maid uniforms, resembling the two women who commanded the horses on the carriage stood beside the table with platters held against their laps.

"Wow..." Negi couldn't keep his astonishment from leaving him. _And yet, how did those two girls get here so quickly? Unless they're all related to each other...I don't really see how they all could look so alike.  
_

"Take a seat." The woman told him, sounding more like a command than anything else if one really listened for the tone.

"Oh." Negi blinked at her words before looking to the table again. "Um, I'm not really that hungry to be honest."

"Nonsense." She teetered, sending unusual chills through his skin. "You must be famished after such a long trip."

"But-uh-"

"Now, don't hurt my feelings." Her bottom lip twitched.

"O-okay!" Negi went to the table and took a seat quickly. "I'll eat."

"Wonderful." She clasped her hands together in delight.

_I don't really like this bitch._ Chachazero fumed before looking down to her master. The uneasy look on his face didn't sit very well with her. The only person who should have been allowed to do this sort of thing to him was Evangeline. _She's pushing master around like she owns him..._

"Master Negi..." Chachazero whispered to him before she felt his hands wrap around her body.

"I think it'll be better if you sit on my lap." Negi whispered back to her, doing just that. "We don't want to arouse any suspicion."

"Listen to me!" The puppet smacked his hand.

"Is there something wrong?" Chachazero almost wanted to strangle him when the woman took his attention away from her.

"Nothing at all." Negi answered her, forcing a smile as he watched her take the seat across from him. His nostrils picked up the wonderful scent of food, and he turned to his left to find one of the blonde women holding a food dish with a cover over it to keep the contents from getting cold. His eyes practically lit up with appreciation when she took it off to reveal his delicious meal. The steak sizzled, and the smell of steamed vegetables made his mouth water. He had no idea what he did to deserve all of this, but he was going to have to pick up on in later.

"This pleases you, does it not?" His gracious host smirked at him, resting her cheek in one hand. The way she looked when she did made her look like some kind of temptress watching her meal for the evening. He did his best not to let himself think of her that way. Her intentions didn't appear to be so impure...it couldn't have been, but then why did her unwavering gaze make him worry so much? "And to think, just moments ago you claimed you weren't very hungry." Her words made the young vampire blush.

Now, if one looked at it another way, why was she doing all of this anyway? Surely she had to be expecting something in return, and as Negi looked down at the plate that was set down before him, he couldn't help but wonder if he was racking up some sort of debt.

"Thank you." Negi bowed his head slightly. He felt a little ashamed of himself as his hands went for the knife and fork on both sides of the plate.

_This sure doesn't look like a place any normal person would live in. _Negi thought as he observed the dining room. It seemed more as though they were eating in a room one would find in a church. The entire place was completely taken care of. The marble was practically glittering in the burning flames from the candles and the Gothic designs were flawless. It did well to unsettle Negi but Chachazero felt right at home for obvious reasons. Surely Evangeline had come across places like this when she was on her travels in the past. He straightened his wandering eyes upon the woman sitting across from him and gasped. This sure was awkward now that he really thought about it.

"I'm sorry. I must seem very rude right now." His sudden apology brought the woman's attention to him. "Here, I'm eating this delicious meal you've had prepared, and I haven't even told you my name."

The woman appeared to be genuinely stunned by his words, but she smiled at him, saying, "Please, the rudeness was all my own. I should have introduced myself to you when we first met outside." She assured him with a light teeter that sent another wave of chills down Negi's spine. Something wasn't right about this woman, and the more he spoke with her, the more apparent it started to become. What was this darkness that he sensed on her. It was quite faint, but every now and then there was a pulse. It almost felt as though she was suppressing it somehow in an attempt to conceal it.

"My name is, Negi Springfield." The young magi introduced himself, missing the unnoticeable shift in her smile.

"Springfield, you said?" The woman asked in a melodic voice that sounded soothing to his ears. It relieved the tension in his shoulders, listening to her voice. She turned her head away from him as though in after thought.

"Yes. That's my name, miss." Negi replied with a nod of his head.

"Interesting." She said softly, more to herself than anyone else. Her eyes focused on him intensely after she turned back to regard him. "My name is, Lucinda McVicar." At the sound of her name something clicked in the young man's mind, but it was still hard for him to understand why. "I am the mistress of this mansion." Her eyes wandered over to Chachazero before meeting his. "And I can see that you are something special."

"Special?" His hands tensed around his eating utensil upon hearing her choice of words.

"Yes. You are a wizard, aren't you?" She asked, the soft smile never leaving her face. That sure came unexpectedly.

"Yes...I am."

"But you're more than that." She went on, making Negi swallow hard. This woman definitely was more than she let up herself. The more he thought about it, the more the feeling he felt from her started to disturb him. It felt so familiar in an eerie way...it reminded him of his master. Her next words struck him hard. "You see, you and I aren't so different from each other." Her smile had come to resemble a smirk.

"You mean, you're a wizard as well?" Negi asked hopefully. Maybe his journey had already gotten somewhere in such short time. This had to be a blessing, but her next words would do more than shatter his hopes. They would come to make his very soul tremble.

"No, young one." Lucinda replied with a shake of her head. "I am a Dark Mistress."

_Holy shit. _Both master and familiar thought at the same time.

"Y-you're a...a v-vampire?" Now he understood how Anya felt.

Lucinda set down her fork and knife, her eyes taking on a change from the serene ones he was met with before. A metamorphosis was taking place before him, and he was helpless to it. "Is it so surprising?"

"Y-yes." His answer left his mouth in a quiver.

"Surely you felt our aura's resonating with each other right? I sensed you when you were approaching the town."

The realization finally struck him. "So that's why you were out to greet me."

"Exactly." Lucinda replied with a chilling smirk before she closed her eyes. "However...you are still quite special for another reason."

"I don't understand."

"Yes you do." She told him. "You are still an fledgling, and yet even now I sense the power of a full fledged vampire within you. It's only a wonder how powerful you may become when you take the step to cleansing yourself in the pools of your bloodlines." She got out of her seat and proceeded to walk over to his side of the table. Negi tensed when she stood behind his seat and placed both of her hands upon his shoulders. The feeling from her now was as though she was drawing him into her. He felt the muscles on his arm tense at her gentle touch as her fingers trailed up and down his shoulders. Was this how it felt to be touched by death?

"I would advise that you take your hands off my master." Chachazero suddenly growled when she noticed how uncomfortable Negi had become. "You are disturbing him."

"I-It's okay Chacha-chan." Negi whispered to her.

"A puppet for a familiar?" Lucinda backed away from Negi's seat and stood beside him. This was the first time that the puppet had decided to voice her feelings. She was under the impression that Negi kept the puppet around as a charm or memento. Suddenly a feral grin crossed her lips for a moment before reverting back to her serene smile. "Such complex magic is rare and quite hard to sustain .In fact, I only know of one person who is well known for this sort of thing and for you to be endowed with such abilities makes things rather...interesting."

_...I'm beginning to wonder if coming here was ever a good idea... _Negi thought nervously. He knew Evangeline had many enemies and most wizards he met were able to tell immediately whom he was associated with through his intimate connection with his familiar. This woman was a "Dark mistress" and in this case...he wasn't sure if she was a safe person to be around.

"Oh, how wonderful." By the sound of her voice, she appeared to be overjoyed by this unexpected development. When her eyes returned to him an adoring quality filled them, making him feel rather uncomfortable in her presence. _"To think that after so long I would be reunited with her again!"_

_Reunited with who?_ Negi's hands gripped the armrests of his seat as he looked at the mistress before him. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else for a fleeting moment.

"You're Evangeline's successor, aren't you?" She took a step closer as a hint of red burned on her cheeks. He could hear her soft breaths become a bit more audible. Was she getting aroused by this revelation? Just what did he get himself into? "There could be no other explanation for you're unusual qualities...and my fangs are tingling. This unmistakable scent, so familiar yet so different..." Her eyes glazed over when they pin pointed his neck. Negi was disturbed when she let out a long, wistful sigh. "...You must be heavenly to taste." Negi detected a lustful quality in her voice when she spoke her last words and the feeling of her breath on his head made the hairs all over his body stand.

"Um, excuse me." Negi noticed that she had eased off of him again, and tried to stand up from his seat, but she rushed over to him and pushed him back down on to his seat before he could go anywhere. She was so quick, so unwilling to allow him to leave.

"Please don't be so quick to leave! It's been a while since I've had such a guest, not to mention a fellow _Nosferatu_. You simply **_MUST_** keep me company for the night." She slipped her hands over his left hand and held it softly against her cheek. This did nothing short of sending Negi into a most awkward state.

_What ever happened to the guests who weren't vampires? _Negi was tempted to ask but his better judgment told him not to inquire about such things. Right now he was in some dangerous territory. He was residing in a Dark mistress's residence and something told him that this was going to be a long night.

"Please don't refuse me." Lucinda pleaded him. "This mansion is in need of some new life."

It was remarkable how he was able to get himself into these sort of situations. Here was a Dark Mistress pleading that he spend that night at her mansion when she clearly just exhibited an unhealthy interest in him. No one in their right mind would accept such an invitation after witnessing what he had just experienced, and yet it was a loaded question; he knew just as she did what his answer would have to be. Here was a young fledgling in the face of a mistress who could very well obliterate him if he did anything that would displease her. He would have to accept her invitation if he wanted to stay alive, but there was something about Negi that set him apart from the logical individual. He took chances, and hoped for favorable outcomes, even in the face of sure danger. So imagine Mistress McVicar's intrigue when his response was-

"Do I really have a choice?"

_She blinked...did he seriously just ask her that?_

"...Why do you ask that?" The vampiress was taken off guard.

"You probably wouldn't give me a choice in the matter anyway..." This is where he took a different approach. It certainly would not have been in his best interest to stir her. It would limit his chances later. "After all, there is a fog outside. I'd have no chance of getting through it safely." _Although now I'm beginning to question whether you were behind it in the first place._

"You're right." Lucinda replied with a soft smile. "I'm glad that you're seeing things my way." _For a moment I thought you were a fool, but it appears that I should expect much more out of you. You are, after all, Evangeline's fledgling._

"This is going to be so much fun." The mistress said happily as she returned to her seat across from him. Her calm, and gentle mask from before had dropped almost completely. "With you to keep me company the possibilities have become endless!" She was like a child on Christmas, and Negi was the gift she had been awaiting all year...perhaps even a century in her case. She picked up her utensils jovially and cut into her steak, slipping the small chunk of meat she sliced off into her mouth in a most peculiar fashion. It just didn't seem very proper.

"Um..." Negi boldly decided to make use of his current predicament.

"Yes?" She perked up, her lips still twitching upward.

"So you knew, master?" He asked, not taking note of how his hands trembled as he reached for his fork and knife.

"Mast...oh, you mean, Evangeline?" Lucinda asked, blinking before her curious expression shifted into something a little sinister. "Why yes, I knew her quite well. Hm, hm...more than you'd probably like understand."

_Um, what was that supposed to mean? _Negi was unsettled by her response. "Were you by any chance...friends?"

"The _closest_ of friends." She replied without a bit of hesitation in her voice.

"...Wow." He looked away from her, finding hard to accept her words.

"What seems to be the matter?" She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Is there something wrong?"

"It was just kind of surprising to hear that." Negi replied, his eyes swiveling back to her. "...Master having friends, that is."

"She never told you about me?" Lucinda asked, sounding amused.

"Not really." Negi told her. _She just kind of grouped you all together as threats. Knowing that I'm having dinner with a dark mistress would most likely make Evangeline furious._

"How rude of her."

"There's something else I'd like to ask you."

"No need to hesitate."

"Did you know, Dorothy?" When she narrowed her eyes in concentration he went on, "Dorothy Summers."

A look of understanding washed over her features. "Ah, you mean that girl. Yes, I knew her, although I can't say that I knew her very well.

"That's fine." Negi told her with a small smile. "What did you know about her?"

"Why does it concern you?" The mistress inquired, setting down her utensils.

"She...was a friend." His answer confused her. How could he have ever met that girl? She died so long ago that it would have been impossible for them to meet, especially under the circumstances between her and Evangeline. Even if there was a chance that they met, which even now the possibility was rather hard to grasp, a friendship between them would have been laughable. That girl was far too bitter to accept anyone's trust or friendship.

"I doubt that you would want to hear about it." Lucinda averted her eyes, a frown on her lips.

"Why?"

"It's not very pleasant."

"Even so, I'd want to know."

Lucinda laughed, though it didn't sound very amused. "Very well, but only because you insisted. From what I heard, when she was a child, she was living in a poor village that was looked down on by the church. At that point in time there was still a great belief that demons walked the land in different shapes and forms so you could imagine what that meant for our kind. The sighting of any vampires was something that would stir quite a bit of fear, and hatred in humans. That sort of combination usually brings about violence; however, since going up against one of us is practically suicide, they took out all of their anger upon those who could not defend themselves very well."

"Meaning?"

"Men, and women who had sexual relations with one of us, or young ones." Lucinda explained. "Dorothy was the child of a woman and a midian male. After her father ran off, he woman he left behind had a child. As the years passed she eventually died of sickness, leaving Dorothy with another family. Since it was a poor village, I hear that they worked her more as a slave than as one of their own children. So one night Dorothy can't suppress her blood lust any longer and she goes for the first thing she can get her hands on; that being the cow usually tended to since she understood how difficult it would be on her to feed on the other humans in the village."

"She gets caught..." Negi went ahead of her.

"Exactly." Lucinda chirped. "So the witnesses call over the men, and they get their hands on her. I'm sure you can guess what came next."

"They beat her?"

"And afterward they impaled her with a pitchfork." Lucinda continued, holding up a hand with her elbow resting on the table. "She was quite hard to kill so they figured that the sun would finish off what they started, however, when they came back in the morning to inspect the pitchfork there was no corpse."

"...I see." Negi bowed his head again.

"So, you say you were her friend?"

"You could say that." Negi replied.

"And where is she now?"

"...She is dead."

"How did she die?"

_Negi remained silent..._

Lucinda caught on to his silent response and apologized, "I'm sorry. That must have been insensitive of me."

"That's fine." Negi told her, surprised by the conversation he was having with this woman. She didn't seem so bad.

"You know...I suppose this is a bit awkward, but I suspected something different from you..." Negi admitted.

"Excuse me?" Lucinda blinked.

"You're a nice person." Negi told her. "From how you behaved in Camilla's battal-"

"How did you know about that?" Lucinda suddenly cut him off in a raised voice, startling him. The dark mistress had risen up from her seat, slamming her hands against the table with narrowed eyes. For a moment, she looked frightening. Her hair appeared to react to her mood, rising slightly as though it had a life of its own.

"...Um, wha-"

"You just said something about me being in Camilla's battalion, did you not?"

"...Yeah." Negi felt a bit of fear rising in his stomach.

"I clearly remember you telling me that Evangeline never told you about me." She shot at him. "How would you know about my involvement in the Nexus war then?"

"It's c-complicated." Negi's voice wavered as he replied.

Lucinda realized that she had frightened him, and sighed, her expression softening again. "Did I scare you?" She held out a hand and gestured for him to calm down. "I'm sorry...calm down. I didn't mean to react that way. Just tell me how you knew about me."

"I...uh...read about you in one of Camilla's diary entries." He answered her.

Lucinda almost lost her balance, but she held herself up by using the table as support. _There are so many things about this young man that intrigues me. _"How were you able to obtain one of those?"

"I just found it."

"More importantly, how were you able to read it?"

"What do you mean?" Negi didn't understand what she was getting at, but the perturbed look on her face was bothering him.

"Camilla wrote her entries in a writing style that only soldiers could understand. It allowed us to pass messages to each other without allowing the wolves to decipher them if they managed to obtain it. My question is, how would you be able to understand it?"

"...I don't know. It looked pretty easy to understand to me." Negi replied uneasily. _Should I tell her about the dream I had afterward? No, it might not be a good idea at all..._

_What scheme is this? Could there be something of interest in this young man that even I can't fully understand. _Lucinda looked to the ceiling for a moment. _Is this possibly your doing, Camilla? That would be impossible...but what other explanation could there be for this happening? _She looked to the young magi, observing his clueless expression. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into did he? It would appear that this young man was a victim to causality.

"...Lucinda?" Negi called to her when she bowed her head, laughing in an ominous manner. "Lucinda?"

"Oh my, Negi Springfield, there is something truly amiss about you." Lucinda startled him when she suddenly broke off from her laugh to speak to him. "I can already tell that there will be many things in store for you, and it simply excites me." She raised her head to regard him with a devilish smirk. "You are destined for greatness!"

"W-what are you talking about."

"Mark my words, you have a path ahead of you that will be filled with numerous obstacles, however, should you overcome them...you may find that the consequences will be beyond your control." Lucinda took a slight bow, eliciting a gasp from him. "It is an honor to have met you, Lord Springfield."

"L-lord?"

"My, what a night!" Lucinda completely dismissed his confusion. "I haven't felt this exhilarated in years." She licked her lips.

_And the real fun has yet to begin...

* * *

_

**[F] {V} [A]**

**

* * *

**

The room that the dark mistress allowed Negi to take for the night wasn't all that different from the rest of the mansion. It was dark and dreary. If it weren't for the candles in the room Negi would not have dared to step in at all. A black carpet with elegant patterns and designs decorating the tapestry covered the floor. There was a rather large bed against the wall with black drapes hanging from the bed posts on it's four corners and the covers were sown from a rich silk. A large dresser resided in the corner near the window and a massive shelf filled with books stretched from one side of the room to the other against the west wall.

"She's a reader. That's for certain." Negi humored to keep himself calm. He remembered Evangeline's personal library and it's immeasurable scale. Surely this woman had one of her own. Lucinda, despite her young appearance held a power and aura well beyond the years.

"How nice of her to let us stay." Chachazero remarked with a hint of suspicion in her voice. "I don't quite trust her though."

"I don't either Chacha-chan...I don't either." Negi walked over to the bed and plopped over near the edge with a sigh. Oddly enough the bed didn't make a sound despite how old it seemed to be. He was sure that they didn't make this style of beds anymore. It looked way too old fashioned to be from this century. The same could have been said for the rest of the furniture in the mansion. "I really should inform Eva-chan about this."

_Boy, would she be thrilled to hear about this. _He thought sarcastically.

"Do you want me to connect you to her, master Negi?" Chachazero asked, stroking the gem that was pinned against her black bow tie.

"Would you please?" Negi didn't like to bother his familiar with the operation. Connecting to his master through her would likely put some strain on the puppet. In most cases he would simply call the vampiress through the phone, but that was something this mansion didn't offer. That, and leaving the manor in search of a phone outside probably wouldn't have done him any good. "I'm really sorry Chacha-chan."

"Don't be, master. It's always my pleasure to be of service to you." She said mischievously. "Give me a sec." She clutched the gem with her doll like hands, and a green light emanated from the jewel. Her eyes went dull for a moment before the color of Evangeline's brilliant eyes took their place. From the way they looked, he was sure that she wasn't very pleased.

"Um...Eva?" Negi asked hesitantly.

"It's about time you contacted me Negi." Evangeline said bitterly. "What's been keeping you all this time? Is it really that much of a pain to say hi?"

"No, no! I can explain!" Negi pleaded her to calm down. The details wouldn't be something of her interest though. If she heard about the situation with Anya then she would have most likely bitten his head off...the next time she'd been within reach, of course. "I-I need you to lower your voice though."

"Why's that?" Evangeline asked, doing what Negi asked of her.

"I don't think my association with you is safe at the moment." Negi replied, keeping a good watch on the door just in case Lucinda decided to come in. There wasn't a lock on the door to keep the dark mistress from coming in as she pleased. _Not that a door would be able to keep someone like her out anyway. _Negi thought cynically before returning his attention to Evangeline.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm not quite sure where but I'm currently in a mansion." Negi replied.

"A mansion?" Evangeline sounded like she wasn't taking this information too well. "Why would you stop at some mansion? I could have sworn that I told you not to get yourself too involved with people! You can't trust anyone Negi!"

"I'm sorry, master, but the odds were seriously against me." Negi looked to the doorway for a moment.

"Who is the owner of the mansion you're staying in at the moment?"

"...Promise not to get mad." Negi said nervously.

_The silence that followed said it all..._

"...From what I'm hearing I can't really promise you anything." Evangeline said darkly.

"Um..."

"Spit it out, boya!" Evangeline demanded, her patience wearing thin. Negi cringed when she called him that; She hadn't addressed him that way in a while.

"A Dark mistress." Negi replied, preparing for what was to come.

"Ahem...please repeat yourself." Evangeline requested calmly, Chachazero's body crossing its arms to express her feelings.

"A Dark mistress is my host."

"...You must be kidding me." Chachazero's mouth hung open in shock for a few seconds before Evangeline spoke again. "Tell me that you're lying, boya."

"Eva-"

"Tell me that you're lying." Evangeline repeated.

"I'm not."

"This is the honest truth?"

"Yes." Negi flinched when Evangeline willed Chachazero's body to throw itself on to the bed covers, and buried her face before letting out an endless chain of muffled curses. She kicked her tiny legs back and forth while she pounded the bed with her tiny fist. It was a display that Negi kind of figured was cute, yet terrifying at that same time.

"Eva-" Negi reached for her, but she was already out of control.

"GWERD DURRMMIT! URKIN URCH! WHR OO URSTARD!" Evangeline cursed incoherently. Negi was relieved that she buried her face in the covers as she let out all her frustration. Negi finally picked the puppet up off the bed when she stopped moving completely and he cowered under Evangeline's intense glare. Hardened men would turn tail and run, screaming like women in the face of such a look.

"She told you this?" Evangeline growled. "That she was a dark mistress?"

"Yes."

"Negi...this has got to be the worst news I've ever heard. You have no idea how much danger you're in just by meeting her. Please..." Evangeline took in a deep breath. "...Did she tell you her name?"

"Lucinda McVicar." Negi answered. At the very sound of that name, Evangeline almost broke the connection with Chachazero's spirit. That was the last name she ever expected to hear from him. That was a name that came from the deepest depths of her dark past. That was the name of a woman who tried to defile her. It was the name of her most vicious rival, and twisted adversary. One could only wonder what she might have had in store for the young magi.

"NEGI...does she know that you're my underling?"

"She does." Negi answered much to her horror.

"Negi, listen to me! You need to get out of there now!"

"I would, but she's got me trapped." Negi remembered what happened the last time he tried to escape through one of the windows in the guest room. Playing it off by convincing the mistress that he was only attempting killing a roach proved to be a hard feat indeed. One that he would be unwilling to try again. "I think she charmed the windows with some sort of repelling spell."

"How about the door you came in through?"

"I haven't checked." Negi replied.

"What the heck are you waiting for?"

"She'll catch me before I reach it!" He told her. "She's hard to get by, you know?"

"Right now it doesn't matter! You have to take that chance or we'll never see each other again!" Evangeline's voice wavered. "I mean it, Negi. This time you've really managed to screw up big time. That woman is very dangerous. She's a vampire from my generation!"

"...Wow..." Negi was at a loss for words. "I don't stand a chance against her do I?"

"You're a microbe in her eyes."

"B-but what does she want with me?"

"I don't kno-"

_"Lord Springfield? Are you alright in there?" _Lucinda's melodic voice invaded from outside.

"Oh no." Negi squeaked.

"What is it?"

"She's coming!" Negi whispered. "We'll continue this conversation later!"

"Negi!"

"I'm sorry, master..." Negi snatched the gem away from Chachazero and she regained control over her own body. He saw the doorknob to the room turn and he pocketed the jewel before Lucinda could see it.

"What is the matter, Lord Springfield?" She asked, the serene smile never leaving her enticing lips.

"Nothing..." Negi replied hoping that she wasn't able to read his thoughts like Evangeline could.

"How do you like the room?"

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before." Negi replied with a hint of wonder in his voice. Chachazero shuffled against him when Lucinda approached them. Negi went on alert as well. "I'm really grateful for your hospitality."

"The pleasure is all mine." Lucinda said with a nod. She took a seat beside Negi on the bed and faced him. "It has been a while since I've seen another. Just having you here with me fills me with a sense of completeness."

"Completeness?" Negi asked.

"Yes..." She cast her eyes downward. "After you've lived as long as I have in a world where we're forced to hide...you get lonely, empty in fact. After a while that loneliness turns in to something horrible. It starts to consume you, and before long you become hateful of the things around you." Negi didn't realize her hand as she placed it over his own. Chachazero saw this gesture of intimacy and started to feel her hands twitching for her blades. "When I sensed your presence I was overjoyed." She studied his face intensely, making Negi feel a little scared. "You're gorgeous."

"I-I am?" Negi stammered. "Why, thank you." _This isn't cool. I think she's trying to move in on me!_

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" She suddenly asked.

"Yes...I think you're very beautiful." Negi answered, a voice in the back of his mind crying out for him to find a way out of this awkward situation. There was a fire burning in the mistress's eyes and it was threatening to pull him in. Negi wasn't sure if she was intentionally trying to entrance him with her eyes or if it was just his imagination.

"Beautiful enough to love?" Lucinda urged him on gently.

"W-well, o-of course." Negi replied uncomfortably.

"Will you love me?"

_Oh...my...god. Eva-chan...lend me your strength! Please! I am so scared right now!_

"Um...well..." Negi shifted away from her. "First we have to ask ourselves..." He looked over his shoulder to find that the other side of the bed was beginning to come rather close. If he shuffled away from her any longer, she would eventually corner him. "...w-what is love, really?"

"Don't play coy with me." Lucinda leaned forward, her back arching as she did. "Questions will only hinder us." Her hand reached out for him, and gripped his arm before she pulled him to her. All resistance he posed against her was futile. With every pull, and jerk, her smile only appeared to widen as though she found his attempts to be rather precious.

_"_Lucinda-" Negi lost his voice when she pushed him onto his back before she slinked over him, her breasts moving up against his chest as she did. His body as you would have it, went completely stiff. Her hair formed a curtain over his head, leaving them both in shadows. All he could see was her eyes twinkling back at him.

"Lay off of him, you damn-!" Chachazero was quick to come to her master's aid, however, the dark mistress flicked her with one finger. That was to say that the puppet just got bashed by a four ton brick. She was sent flying into the wall, sliding down against it until she fell to the floor motionless.

"Chachazero!" Negi tried to move, but the mistress pinned his wrist down with one hand while she placed her other at his side, gripping his shirt. "Let go of me!"

_"Odd...you're the first man to resist me like this." _Lucinda seemed genuinely disturbed by his resistance. _"Are you so loyal to your mistress? How interesting. To find such a fledgling in the face of such temptation is quite hard to come across indeed. I want you even more now."  
_

"P-please! Just let me go!" Negi struggled against her, but she overpowered him effortlessly. So this was the power of a dark mistress. Compared to her unfathomable strength, he was no different from a helpless child, and her tender gaze, even as she forced herself on him only served to emphasize this fact. Would he journey end here, or was this merely the beginning of something even bigger? She claimed that he had greatness awaiting him, but then what was her scheme? Did she want to steal him away from Evangeline, or did she simply wish to have his body?

_"Sh, sh, sh."_ Lucinda positioned herself so that she was straddling his hips with a finger against her lips to quiet him. _"Is this your first time?"_

_Negi blinked a few times before a furious blush burned his entire face..._

_"Oh, how ADORABLE!"_ Lucinda cried out, sounding like a little girl who just found a defenseless kitten in her sights. _"So Eva left you pure, did she? My, she really knows how to please an old friend, doesn't she? How could she honestly pass on someone as delicious as yourself?"  
_

"G-Get off of me!"

_"Come now, lord Springfield." _She placed her hands on his chest and gripped his jacket with intents of ripping it off of him with one swift motion. _"Give yourself to me. Forget about your mistress, and be mine. I can make it so you'll never live another moment without pleasure-"_

"NO!"

_"Refusing just like her, hmm?"_ Lucinda pulled her hands away from him with a look of disappointment. _"Well, that sure changes things, doesn't it?"_

"W-what are you talking a-about?" Negi asked, his voice quivering with a mixture of fear and arousal. He couldn't help himself. "Are y-you going to l-let me go?"

_"No..." _Lucinda looked up, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. _"It just means," _She looked back at him, only this time there was a change in her that almost made the poor young man relieve himself right then and there. She looked almost psychotic as she smiled at him, her eyes swirling with a maniacal gleam that spoke of a ruthless hunger. She wasn't going to let go of him, that much had finally become apparent to him. _"-that this will be more fun for me than it will be for you!"_

_EVANGELINE!_ He had no idea why, but his thoughts cried out for his master. Even as he realized that all hope was gone, he still held on to the vision of his precious mistress. It was at that point that he realized what a fool he was. _No! What would Evangeline think if she saw me now? She warned me about this... she spoke to me of the dangers, and the first thing I do is get myself caught. I can't allow this woman to have her way. I have to prove myself. I have to!_

Negi composed himself as best he could, and stopped struggling against her. The expression on his face relaxed along with his breathing. The unexpected change within him made Lucinda McVicar blink. From the looks of things, it would have seemed as though the young vampire had finally submitted to her.

_"What is this?"_ The Dark mistress questioned curiously with a smirk. _"Are you trying to spoil it for me?"_

"Just take me." Negi told her, his eyes gaining an intensity that sent pleasant shivers down the woman's spine. "Have me any way you wish."

_And now...I have to take control._ Negi used his free hand and placed it against her waist, snaking it around her back. To his surprise, she pressed down against him easily when he pulled her down. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment when he felt tears sting them for reasons only his subconscious understood before burying his face into the side of her neck and exhaling slowly. The feeling of his warm breath against her skin made Lucinda relax her hold on his other wrist. For the first time in her entire life, she felt herself go hot with embarrassment. Here, she was about to force herself on this nice young man, and now he just unexpectedly turned the tables on her. His touches against her skin as he moved his hand to lift her dress felt warm, and smooth. He traced a finger down the small of her back, and a lusty sigh escaped her.

_"...What are you doing?"_ She asked him, looking down at him with one eye close while the other was barely open. A red haze seemed to surround her face as her blush burned her cheeks.

"Doing as my mistress wishes." Negi answered her softly. He saw the edge in her eyes gradually disappear, and he was faced with the same serene orbs that met him at the table earlier. He was doing it. Before long he would have her relaxed enough to cath her off guard. He just had to make sure that she wouldn't take this too far before he could. Now, if only he could have it so that she was on her back, this situation would look a bit more hopeful. Sure, there still were quite a few odds against him even if he did manage to break away from her. For one thing, she obviously had to be much faster than he was. Another thing was in regard to her strength. If Evangeline was holding back last time he faced her, almost killing him in the process, then how much could he possibly expect from Lucinda? She was a vampire from his master's generation, after all, and the display she showed him when he saw her in his dreams was frightening as well.

_Stop thinking about that...be optimistic...come on...you can get through this!_ He looked to the mistress's lips, and he knew what he had to do. Those late nights of watching romance flicks with Asuna, and Konoka were finally about to start paying off for him. He removed one hand from her back and placed it against the side of her neck, eliciting a small gasp from her before slipping it against her cheek, and caressing it with a look of determination. Lucinda understood his silent message to her and lowered her face to meet his lips.

Negi would later have to admit that this had to be one of the finer points of being in the clutches of a mistress. None of his students back at Mahora, or Evangeline McDowell herself, had anything on the woman he had his lips pressed against now when it came to kissing. It almost felt as though sparks were crackling between them when their lips met. Her hands moved upwards to intertwine her fingers with his hair, shooting sensations down his neck that were mind blowing. Negi's mind barely processed the opportunity he was waiting for when the vampiress's body started tilting to the side. She now wanted him to take over, and he did so without hesitation, rolling her onto her back to pin her down while they still continued kissing. She titled her head to the side, and opened her mouth to await his entry.

_K-Keep c-c-calm!_ The hapless young man willed himself to follow her lead, opening his mouth slightly to trace the insides of her lips before dwelling even deeper to meet her tongue. Their personal dance went on for longer than Negi could keep track of before she started moaning in curious fashion.

"Hm?" Negi moaned back in a questioning tone.

She broke away for a few seconds to say, _"My room-" _She closed the distance between their oral chambers again.

Negi broke away, _"W_ha-" He breathed out lustfully before closing the distance again.

She broke off again, _"My room-" _She closed again, and broke off, _"-more appropriate-" _She went back to kissing him again.

"MM-Hmph?" Negi moaned to her. _(You sure?)_

_"Mmph." (Yes.)_

_"Mm-nph?" (Really?)_

_"MMPH!" (YES!)_

_"Mmnmph-mnmph-mm-mmph-mnmph!" (Then let me just pick you up so that we can get somewhere.)_

Negi ran his hands down her hips, and gripped her by the thighs to lift her off the bed with him as he stood up, still kissing her, amazingly enough. She wrapped her legs around his waist to get a better hold on him as he carefully made his way to the door of the room before releasing his grip on her right thigh to turn the door knob. _Zero-chan..._ The young magi's heart nearly broke when he saw his familiar slumped against the wall. This was all his fault. _...I'll come back for you._

_"Mmph?" _When Lucinda moaned in protest at his sudden pause, he pulled open the door and walked outside, regaining his grip on her right thigh with a reflexive squeeze that pleased his captor. Turning back to the job at hand, Negi moved forward, hitting the guard rail that kept the two of them from falling to the floor below. Lucinda tightened her legs' hold around his waist when he leaned forward from mistakenly hitting the rail, however, she never broke away from their kiss, teaching her fierce partner just what she was capable of with her tongue.

Negi broke away, "Which way?"

_"Left."_ Lucinda answered him before capturing his lips again.

He did as she directed, going left until his shoulder hit a wall without him realizing it was there. _"Mmph-mnph?" (Where now?)_

_"Mmphrwrd!" (Forward!)_ At her direction, he leaned forward and kept on going, and going until-

**_SLAM!_**

They both crashed into the door of her room, and kept speeding forward until they hit another wall. Of course, all of this felt like love taps to the dark mistress, but the rougher their journey got, the more aroused she began to feel, pressing her hips against Negi. The young vampire let his eyes swivel to the left to find a large, King sized bed with black, silk covers and drapes hanging from the four posts at its corners. It was the perfect place to progress with what they started, and quite frankly Negi was on the verge of losing his self control the longer this went on. He shifted his weight to the left to get moving in the direction of the bed, and laid Lucinda down against it before breaking away a final time to get some air into his lungs.

_"Wow..." _Was all the mistress could say, doing her best to get her eyes back into focus.

_Alright...alright..._ Negi's chest rose and fell as he looked down upon her, unsure of what to do next. _How do I find myself a chance to get out of here?_

_"Lord Springfield-" _Lucinda spread her arms out to him with an expression of hunger, and need. _"-Take me..."_

"Now?" He must have sounded pretty stupid for asking that.

She nodded quickly, _"Now."_

"Now?"

_"NOW!" _She cried out passionately.

"Errra!" Negi followed his instincts and reached into between the cleavage of her dress, feeling warm flesh pressing softly against the tip of his fingers. Lucinda started breathing faster as she looked up at him with a nod, and he tore at it roughly to expose-

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]

* * *

**_

**_[ _****_Evangeline's Residence..._****_ ]_**

"Mistress!" Chachamaru gripped her little mistress by the shoulders as Evangeline proceeded to punch the wall repeatedly. "Calm down!"

"DAMN YOU, LUCINDA!" Evangeline punched the wall again, and again. "DAMMIT NEGI!"

_**"I'LL KILL THEM BOTH!"**_

_**

* * *

**_**_To Be Continued..._****

* * *

**

_And so Lucinda is about to show her true colors. Well, things have been going pretty smoothly, and the the looks of how much faster it was for me to update than before, not that much has been coming my way lately. It's much like the calm before the storm, but let me leave those issues alone before they bite me later. So getting back to what just happened above, expect the next chapter to be all about survival. Negi is pinned down against his will, and as all cornered animals do, he's going to lash out and push himself to the limit. Of course, things like that could get you in trouble with the wrong crowd.  
_

_...I should have more to say, but I kind of can't because it would reveal to much, and...you ever get that feeling of guilt whenever you put your characters through such a tense situation? Well, I'm kind of feeling it right now for some reason. It feels a little weird to just leave Negi hanging like that..._

_...oh, wait, I feel better now...

* * *

_

**Thanks to AznPuffyHair for the contribution...**

_Alabastor "Frankenstein" Kinsley_

_Kimberly "Kim-Berry" Berlando

* * *

_

**Question Time: For the curious reader**

* * *

**_Q. _**How fast can you type? 

_**A. **...That is a good question...not extremely fast. (I've met people that sound like woodpeckers.)_

_**Q. **Quick question tho, will the setting of this series encompass all of Europe or just England?_

_**A. **Europe and more..._

_**Q. **Out of curiosity, will there be a third series after "By Your Enrapture" or is this the last saga?_

_**A. **Unfortunately, I've got this bad feeling that I won't be able to wrap this all up in this saga, but I hope I can._

_**Q. **Is Anya going to become a Vampire?_

_**A. **This might have been rhetorical...therefore there will be no answer._

_**Q. **Oh, and is town a vampire town, Traingham?_

_**A. **Wouldn't that be awesome?_

_**Q. **Why are modern churches always rendered as near-helpless in most fanfics involving werewolves/vampires? Just thought I'd bring it up since you basically implied the vatican would basically be useless against the vampires._

_**A.** I suppose that its due to a shock factor that everyone wants to introduce in their stories even though its been used so many times. Maybe others don't believe in the power of the scriptures or other personal things like that. In my case, I just don't want my vamps blowing up when holy water gets sprinkled on them...that would be kind of like...how can I put this? Have you ever played a game where a total badass boss get in your way, and all you really have to do is hand them a phoenix down, and **POOF**, they just kind of die? Have an experience like that, and you'll see what I mean._

_**Q. **Is Evangeline the only person other than Xao of course (Chao`s mother) that he`s going to get friendly with? You mentioned Chachazero in a flashback scene (By the way when are you going to bring those back) and so who else? Promise me you won`t go down the harem route!_

_**A. **OK THEN! We'll have a vote...  
_

**Q.**_ Evangeline`s motivations... Does she ever let her guard down and give Negi a total scene where she speaks in no riddles or engimas?_

_**A. **Of course. If I relied on Negi to do that, we'd have ten extra seasons._

_**Q.**_ When does Konoka go homicidal on Eva`s **? (Sorry but I so see it happening.)

**_A. _**_That would be rewarding..._

_**Q. **Have any of the students considered the possibility that Negi returned to Wales? I would imagine that out of a class of 31 students at least one of them would have at least guessed that's where he might have gone. Out of all of them I would think those who know of his magical background would also be among those most likely to guess this too._

_**A. **I'm guessing that its more of a question of, will Takamichi let them leave, or money issues, and et cetera, and et cetera._

_**Q. **Will Kotaro catch up with Negi? I guess there be a fight between them._

_**A. **...This is not the scenario that you are looking for._

_**Q. **Negi . . . Chachazero . . . sweet creepy puppet surprise sex . . . when?_

_**A. **Crap, its back again!

* * *

_

**Well, take care.**

Traingham...

_P.S: Hope that wasn't too dark for ya'._


	8. Provoke

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Negima or any of it's vibrant characters..._

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**Chapter Eight: The Bold and the Daring****  
**_

_By Traingham_

* * *

Negi looked down at the woman spread out on the bed before him. From his point of view it was so odd to find an individual capable of so much, giving herself to him to do as he wished. Of course, she would gain something from his actions as well, but for a moment he realized that he was the person in control, and it chilled him to the bone. His shirt lay on the floor in shreds from his intense bodily engagement moments ago. As he tore open her dress, she brought him down to her and ripped his shirt clean off of his body with enough ease to scare him, shitless. Even more surprising was that she was able to do it without tearing his cloak off along with it. Lucinda McVicar's ample chest rose and fell quickly as she awaited his next move with great anticipation. Her hands gripped the sheets from excitement, and she bit her bottom lips, allowing blood to drip along the side of her mouth from the punctures that her now stained fangs left.

_"Don't stop..." _Lucinda told him in a near breathless voice. She moved her right hand to place it over his left, and slipped it onto her right breast, shaking her head as she repeated, _"Don't stop now."_

_Don't let her her draw you in any further..._ Negi's eyes narrowed in deep concentration, doing his best to break free from the binding spell that she had him under. As he worked his way into control earlier, he came to the horrifying realization that he had gradually been losing himself in her seductive grips. She had been drawing him in all along, much like a siren drawing in a foolish sailor. _...Pull away...you have to. This is your chance to break away-_

"Wait," Negi suddenly exhaled, slipping his hand away from the soft mound of flesh that it had been cupping seconds ago. He could swear that he could still feel her warmth even as he closed it. "Give me a moment."

"What?" The vampiress's face started to show a little disappointment. "Why?"

"I have an idea." Negi told her, doing his best not to sound too suspicious. "Just give me a moment..." He backed away from her, and slowly made his way to the door of the room. As he did, Lucinda propped herself up on her elbows and looked to him, her eyes hinting towards a bit of sadness.

"Where are you going?" She pouted.

"To get some-" _Think quickly, think quickly, think quickly!_ "-body oil!" He inwardly wanted to smack himself when he raised his voice upon answering her.

"I have some-"

"Be right back." He cut her off quickly as he took his leave. She watched the tail of his mage cloak flap along behind him and groaned, letting herself fall back against the mattress like a little girl denied of her doll. Just a little further ans she would have consumed him entirely. He would have surrendered himself to her completely, and she would have delivered a deep blow to her eternal rival. For a fleeting moment a smile played along her lips as she imagined Evangeline McDowell awaiting the return of her fledgling, only to discover that he had given himself to the very woman she despised with a passion that would out burn the very sun itself.

_In time..._ The Dark Mistress though giddily, her eyes darting to the door for a quick second. _...He won't be able to resist me..._

_Resisting! Resisting!_ Negi chanted like a mantra as he scrambled to the room that the mistress offered him for the night. Of course, if he had gone on any further with the activity for the evening, those sleeping arrangements would have been changed drastically. He pushed open the partly open door, and gripped the frame with his left hand to swing his body in the direction of his unconscious familiar. She had not made so much as a twitch since he, and Lucinda left the room.

"Zero-chan!" He exclaimed to her in a whisper, falling to his knees as he reached for her. He clutched the puppet to his chest, and looked over his shoulder to watch the door just in case Lucinda decided to drag him back against his will. "Please wake up." He closed his eyes, and channeled his dark aura into her.

_I'm sorry..._His eyes tightened._ ...don't leave me. I'll be damned if I lose you no-_

"Geez..." Negi's eyes snapped open when he heard his familiar groan.

"Zero!" Negi held her away from him to get a look at her as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Y-you get the registration number of that train that hit me?" She asked, one eye still closed.

Negi couldn't help, but laugh at her words. "T-that wasn't a train."

"Whaddya-" She stopped abruptly, opening her other eye in what he interpreted as shock. Almost immediately, she started swinging her legs furiously. "That's right! I almost forgot what that fucki-"

"No time for that!" Negi cut her off, standing up quickly. He perched her on his head, and patted the inside pocket of his cloak to make sure that he had the treasure box that Evangeline gave him as a parting gift. As long as he still had it on his person, he had nothing to fear...in the chances of survival that was, since there was really no guarantee if you looked at it from the standpoint of the character and not the reader. How long would the mistress wait before she left her room to investigate why he was taking so long to return? He could only hope that it would be long after he found a way out of the town.

"But...how did you get away from her?" She inquired, pushing aside her own issues with the mistress. She poked her head out a little further as she leaned forward on his head to look down at his bare chest. If facial expression were possible, murderous would be the word of the day. "Just what the hell happened while I was-"

"N-nothing, really." Negi lied to her.

"Then what the hell happened to your-" The puppet was forced to get a grip on his hair when he suddenly started to move without warning her.

"Lets get moving." He peered around the edge of the doorway to check if anyone was coming before he made a quick right upon leaving, and made his way to the stairway to descend as lightly as possible so as not to arouse any attention to himself. When he got off the last step, he pressed his back against the wall, and poked his head around the corner of the main hall. There was nothing standing in his way except for a few armored suits, but they would certainly pose no threat...unless this was just another bad day waiting to happen. Sadly, it had finally come to the point, that Negi expected misfortune to strike at any given opportunity. It was just something that he had come to live with.

_So, if those suits suddenly just decided to step off of their stands and come after me, I wouldn't be very surprised..._ The young magi thought grimly as he stepped into the hall. He looked over his shoulder to check for anyone trying to catch him by surprise to find an empty hall. So far, so good; however, upon turning his head to face the direction of the door that would lead him to freedom, he found two obstacles that weren't there seconds ago. The two maids that stood by while he dined with Lucinda stood in his way, side by side. Their emerald eyes stared back at him dully. What were they? Clearly they couldn't be human, and yet, they certainly weren't vampires either. He didn't sense any darkness emanating from their bodies, and they lacked the spiritual aura that most magical beings possessed. Were they marionettes?

_No...they're something else..._ The young vampires studied their familiar features, and fought back the chills that ran along his arms. _Now that I really pay mind to them, they kind of look like master._

"Master Negi, if we stall any longer it probably wouldn't be good for our health." Chachazero broke him out of his thoughts.

"I hear you." Negi told her with a slight nod as he proceeded forward. He got closer to the two women with each step he took, but they made no indication of getting out of his way. Perhaps the mistress had given them the order of preventing his leave. This would complicate things.

"Are we gonna fight them?" The puppet asked, a hint of excitement dancing in her voice. She had been denied the pleasure of watching her master in actual action for a while, so the thought of a confrontation happening was just something she had been dying for. When her master didn't answer her, she pulled on his hair to get his attention as she watched the distance between them and the two maids get narrower. "Please say, yes! Come on, lets do this!"

"Well," Negi came to a halt when he was just a few feet away from them. "I guess now would be the time to find out."

_"Lord Springfield?"_ Negi flinched when he heard Lucinda call for him. _"Just how long?"_

"Just a moment!" He called back to her, never taking his eyes off of the two maids. After studying their body language for any tense muscles, he asked them, "Are you two going to let me through?"

_They offered him no response._

"Who are you guys?" Negi went in for a different approach, but his response was the same as before. There appeared to be no way out of this through means of conversation. _Looks like I'm going to force my way through. _At his thoughts, both women assumed a fighting stance without warning. They were positioned side by side, with one arm curled at their sides, hands tightened into fists, and one arm held out with an open hand to parry any incoming strikes.

"You two can read thoughts?"

_-We are restricted to thoughts....-_

"Whoa." Negi was caught off guard by their unexpected response. "Have you two been...speaking to me this entire time?"

_-Yes, we have.-_

"So why didn't I..." He trailed off for them to answer.

_-You think too much.-_

Negi blinked. "Um...right. So, let's start all over again."

_-As you wish.-_

"Can I get by?" He asked them with a hopeful smile.

_-The mistress would never allow it.-_

"But, I'm the victim here."

_-Regardless, we cannot allow you to leave. You will remain here.-_

"Are you two bound here by any chance?"

_-....Maybe.-_

"Okay then." Negi nodded slowly. This was beginning to make things a little clearer for him. "So were you two the ones on the carriage?"

_-Yes.-_

"...Right..." Negi nodded again before going on, "So how far away are you two allowed from the mansion?"

_-If you intend to escape us by going beyond our jurisdiction, you will be disappointed.-_

"I believe that's a challenge." Chachazero cackled to her master. "What do you think, master Negi?"

"I think you're right, Zero-chan." Negi replied.

_-You will not get by us.-_ They both assumed their stances again. _-Turn back.-_

"Fine." Negi assumed his stance. "We'll play by your rules." His eyes sharpened upon them fiercely, and he waited. He wasn't entirely sure what these two were capable of, so it wouldn't have been advised for him to just attack them head on. "Then again," He looked over his shoulder quickly. "I might be short on time. I'd best provoke them-" As soon as he took a step forward, the woman on his left side sent a fist flying toward his face with enough speed to have him hesitate in wonder for a second before ducking under it, and taking another step forward. The maid on the right, seeing that her sister had missed, went in for a straight forward thrust of her hand directed at his throat, only to have it parried to the side. Negi rushed in quickly when he saw an opening, and delivered a kick to the left maid before kicking off to the side to deliver an elbow to the side of the maid's head on the right.

It was dodged.

"Hugh?" Negi yelped when the maid on his right ducked under his elbow, and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly to send him crashing to the floor with a suplex. Chachazero was stunned for a moment when the g-force of the slam hit her so unexpectedly. Her master on the other hand, had almost been completely knocked out. "Ack-" Negi choked on his own spit as he rolled out of his opponent's grips. He stood up, using the wall for support and winced at the pain in his back. _Can't make another mistake like that..._

"They work together well." Negi growled before he blinked a few times. Now that he really paid attention, he realized that he had just been slammed to the other side of the hall. He was now facing away from the door which meant...

"It's behind me?" Negi asked no one in particular.

_Both maid narrowed their eyes at him; their first shift in expressions since he first laid eyes on them..._

"Crap." Negi took that as his cue to whip around and make a run for it, ignoring the way the maids footfalls came at him quickly. He rushed for the door, readying himself to ram his shoulder right through it since opening it the civil way would only slow him down, but something peculiar happened that normally should not have been possible. He found a mop of hair hanging over his head for a few seconds before two arms hooked under his shoulders, and swung him into the ceiling like a trapeze artist. The young magi smacked the ceiling and came down like a rag doll before he felt the other maid catch him, and grip him by a leg and an arm to bring him down on her knee with a back breaker. Painful sensations ran right up his spine before every nerve in his arms and legs started to jitter with excruciating stabs.

"Ungh...." Negi groaned upon being dropped to the floor. "...This...is not my day..."

_-Will you surrender?-_ He heard both of their monotonous voices invade his mind as he got back on two wobbly feet.

"S...Surrender?" Negi echoed them, standing up straight. He placed a hand against his back, and bent backwards before swinging his upper body from left to right to let out an sickening crack that even made the two women grit their teeth in disgust. "No..." Negi answered them as he got into a stance, sounding unsure of himself. "...I don't think I could afford to. You see, there are a bunch of girls back at home waiting for me, and..." He cocked his head from side to side to release a few cramps in his neck. "...they probably wouldn't be too happy to find out that I just gave myself to a woman after spending one night with her. You know...morals, and all."

_-Unwise.-_

"Says, you two." Negi retorted with a smirk. "Hey, Zero?"

"Yeah, master Negi?" His familiar responded to his call.

"Hold on tight!" With that, Negi performed a wall kick, and sent himself flying into the maid that stood on the ceiling. When he had her in his arms, he kicked off from the ceiling and did a mid-air somersault before using the momentum to slam her to the floor. With her stunned for the moment, he rushed forward to engage the other maid, directing a punch to her face. When she ducked, he curled his arm and delivered and elbow to the side of her head as she rose back up to retaliate. The force of his attack sent her staggering to the wall on her side, but she recovered quickly and rushed back at him with a roundhouse.

_He ducks, and counters with a roundhouse of his own-_

_She ducks, and follows his example-_

_He catches her leg as it rushes towards him-_

_She whips around with her free leg, and connects her other foot with the side of his head, forcing him him to release her other leg._

Negi staggered back, feeling his back hit the wall, and gasped when she rushed in for a punch. He jerked his head to the side quickly, allowing her fist to crash through the wall, and took that moment as his opportunity to retaliate, seeing that her hand was lodged in. He directed a shot to her face, but she jerked her head to the side just as he did, and freed her hand to deliver a punch from her other hand to his stomach. Negi reacted quickly to her counter, placing a hand on her left shoulder to jump over her just as her fist almost came close to hitting its mark, and landing behind her to deliver an elbow to her back. She was sent staggering forward from the blow to her back, but she halted herself by placing a foot on the wall and kicking backwards to bash herself into the young magi. He was stunned long enough for her to whip around with a knee to his stomach before grabbing him by the hair as he doubled up to crush his face against the wall.

Negi gripped the wrist of the hand that held him by he hair, and jammed his thumb into it as hard as he could to disable her, effectively breaking free from her grip. She backed away to hold her bloody wrist, but she suppressed the painful sensation when she realized that the young man had already gone in for a counterattack. She bent back to avoid a punch to the nose by an inch, and ducked under a right jab to rush in and head butt him. Negi lost is balance for a fleeting moment, and watched as her foot cut through the air in a sideways arc to connect with the side of his stomach. It connected well, and he was sent smacking the wall with his side.

"Urgh!" Negi grunted at the painful sensation, holding his side for a few seconds, but the maid wasn't willing to give him a moment of rest, preparing a volley of punches.

_Negi quickly parries her punch, hitting the side of her arm to redirect it the other way, and goes in for an elbow thrust-_

_She catches his elbow in the palm of her hand as she backs away, and whips around with a spinning backhand-_

_He ducks under her rushing fist, and rises with an uppercut-_

_She bends her upper body back quickly to dodge his uppercut, and grabs his wrist with one hand, and his shoulder with the other to send him running into the wall-_

_He whips his body just as he comes in contact with the wall to send her crashing into the wall right beside him._

"Crazy..." Negi panted, backing away from the motionless maid, however, when he turned to check on the other maid, he found that she wasn't lying on the floor anymore. "Where did she-"

"Above you!" Chachazero alerted him. She gripped his hair tightly as her master ducked down quickly to avoid another surprise attack from the maid above him; however, she did not linger above him for very long, dropping down to meet him as he rolled out of the way to dodge her landing, as it would have been very painful. The two stared each other down for a moment in a ghastly silence as if to contemplate their next actions, but Negi was the first to make a move, kicking forward on his right foot to close the distance between them. The maid thrust her hand forward when he was in reach, but to her surprise, her hand impaled nothing more than an illusion left behind by the young vampire's mind numbing speed. Her mouth opened to let out a silent yelp when she felt her legs got swept from under her, but instead of falling to the floor as was normally expected, she felt Negi grip her by the back of her collar before being hurled across the hall as though she was completely weightless.

Negi waited to hear her body hit the wall far across the hall, and winced when he heard a loud thump. _I hope that didn't do too much damage. It didn't sound like she hit a hollow wall._

"Um, master?" Chachazero tapped the top of his head when she saw him lost in his thoughts. "Do you want to get caught?"

"Oh-right." Negi was shaken from his thoughts by her sarcasm. He looked back to the maid that was still lodged in the wall for a fleeting moment, and made a dash for the door, only this time he opened it like any civil individual and closed it behind him softly. There was no need to make such a racket when all things were out of the way, right? Of course, then one would have to ask if the mistress heard the commotion between the young magi and his two adversaries. She was by no means, deaf.

"What the heck?!" Negi cried out in distress when he saw that the fog had only gotten worse upon putting some much needed distance between the manor, and himself. "This can't be natural!" The young magister cast a glance over his shoulder.

_No mistress..._

"Hey, Zero-chan, have you got anything on our situation?"

"I'm trying." The puppet told her master, doing her best to find source of magic to the fog, but for some reason it was non-existent. That was where their troubles lied. If this fog was natural, which it seriously couldn't be, then what were they really forgetting to take into account? There had to be something they had not thought about that should have been obvious. They were simply looking past it somehow.

"Well, I'm going to give this a shot, then." Negi told her before he kicked off from the ground to become airborne. The mist seemed to curl around the young vampire as he gained more altitude, but all he was met with as he cut through even further into the air was more fog. "Geez!" Negi growled before pushing himself further than before, going more velocity with each passing second. Before long he heard the crack of the sound barrier, parting the fog to reveal something that turned his blood into ice.

"What...the..." Negi looked up to find a grey void. "Where are we?"

"I knew it!" Chachazero cried out, frustration clear in her voice. " This is a pocket dimension!"

Negi furrowed his brows in perturbation, asking, "What do you mean, pocke-" He stopped in mid-sentence, opening and closing his mouth like a dying fish as the realization struck him horribly. "Y-You mean, just like Eva's resort?!"

"That's right! We must have been taken in as we were flying!"

"But...that doesn't make sense!" Negi came to a complete stop before looking below to find that he didn't put much distance between himself and the ground. He could still see the top of the manor just below him.

"It's like a web. She said that she felt you coming, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but-"

"It shouldn't be any trouble for a Dark Mistress."

"But still, isn't this a bit too convenient?"

"Is it?" Chachazero said cryptically. "I doubt her target was originally you in the first place."

"...Then who was she after?"

"Evangeline." The puppet answered him. "Think about it, Evangeline must have been around your hometown before. McVicar must have set up a dimensional rift around here to swallow her in the chance that she ever came around here again."

_Father..._ The _'Thousand Master's'_ face flashed in the young vampire's mind. _Master must have chased father down here at an earlier point in her life before he trapped her on Mahora. So...just how long has this trap been waiting to be set off? How long has Lucinda been waiting to be reunited with Eva-chan?_

"This...is creepy." Negi said to himself with a shiver.

"You don't know the half of it." Chachazero remarked. "Your blood probably set it off."

"Then, how are we going to leave this place?"

"Oh, no prob."

_Negi blinked a few times..._

"No problem?" Negi asked his familiar in a voice that hinted at a mixture of adrenaline shock, and relief. "Y-you can get us out of here?"

"Well, it shouldn't be that different from opening a passage in Eva's resort, right?" She asked him.

"Don't ask me." Negi replied. "So how long will it take you?"

"Give me a few minutes." Chahazero replied. She closed her eyes fora moment before opening them to reveal two glowing orbs. "Buy me some time."

"From what?" Negi asked, the major threat to their freedom, slipping his mind. That was until-

**_"Lord Springfield..."_** A cool voice called to him from behind. The very moment Lucinda's voice reached his ear, Negi's hands started trembling. The feeling of her hand pinning down his wrist against the bed an hour ago returned, and it left him with a feeling of hopelessness. _"...How very unbecoming of a gentleman to keep a woman waiting, don't you think?"_

Negi turned to face her. She was fully dressed again, and the look of pleasure that had been on her face when he had her pinned against silk covers minutes ago had been replaced by a cold gaze that would have petrified a lesser man. She obviously had not taken kindly to being abandoned_; _It was something she wasn't very accustomed to_, _and she wasn't about to start just couldn't understand it. She just wouldn't accept it. What was it about Evangeline McDowell that made her so untouchable...so _unreachable_? Taking in the sight of this young man, the mistress could imagine her rival in his place, staring back at her with the smirk that haunted her dreams. He truly had more than just her blood flowing within him.

_That spirit. He and Evangeline must share a very powerful bond._ Lucinda thought with a ghost of a smile. While this understanding may have put her at a slight disadvantage, it also brought an indescribable feeling of excitement, but enough of that. Right now there was business of a different nature at hand.

_"What is this? You were intending to leave without a good-bye as well?"_

"You don't mind, d-do you?" Negi asked her with a nervous chuckle.

_"Why, yes, I do."_ She answered him. _"I invited you into my home out of the kindness of my heart, and you repay me by running away? Who taught you your manners?"_

"Well, not to be rude, but who taught you yours?" Negi asked boldly, causing Lucinda to blink. "Have you ever heard the expression, _'No means no'?_"

_"Not really."_ The mistress answered him, licking her lips. _"I'm much more familiar with, 'No, don't stop!'."  
_

"...Ahem..." Negi cleared his throat when he felt it close up. "I'll be taking my leave, then."

_"Don't like bad girls?"_

"I have better things to do than-"

_"Than staying with me?"_ Lucinda cut him off in a low voice that brought chills to the young man. The Dark mistress bowed her head. _"Say, that hurts my feelings."_

"...Uh...what I meant was-"

_"I don't believe you understand, Lord Springfield."_ Lucinda raised her head with a frown. _"You are at a great disadvantage here. How do you expect to leave?"_

"I'll be the one to worry about that."

_"...I see."_ Lucinda responded cryptically. _"So the canary has found a way out of the cage? I wish you hadn't."_

"Excuse me?" Negi blinked, feeling his heart rate accelerate. _ZERO, HOW MUCH LONGER?!_

_...I'm having a little trouble..._ She replied to him in a telepathic voice.

_How much time will you need?!_

_...Ten minutes...maybe?_

_...Alright!_

_"I see that more persuasive measures will have to be taken..." _To Negi's horror, Lucinda released her dark aura. A violent wind started blowing, and the fog started rising into the clouds above as a void suddenly appeared, drawing all of it in. The mistress's eyes burned like yellow flames, her frown lifting into a devilish smirk._ "...to keep what is mine."_

Chachazero snapped out of her trance, and yanked at her master's hair. "Master!"

"W-What?!" Negi cried out in pain.

"She just did something! I can't open a passage for some reason!"

"You can't be serious!"

_"Oh, did I spoil your plans?" _Lucinda feigned a bit of sympathy as she crossed her arms, clicking her tongue a few times. _"What will you do now?"_

"I guess you're leaving me no choice." Negi told her shakily, piquing her interest.

_"Ah, fighting words."_

_"Procul meus pars!" _At Negi's call, Setsuna's blade materialized in his left hand. "Haaaa..." He exhaled softly before he gripped the hilt of the blade with both hands and assumed the proper stance with it.

_"And here, I thought you'd be to shy to unveil it."_ The vampiress poked fun at him. _"A majestic blade it may be; however, it pales in comparison with mine." _She watched his body go tense at the mention of her own blade, and smiled. _"Of course, I wouldn't want to kill you so-"_

"Gyaa!" Negi wasted no time in delivering a straight forward thrust that should have impaled her side...well, it did, but the way she simply looked down at it like it was a worthless twig discouraged him. _Maybe...I shouldn't have done that..._

_"Ara, ara...that penetrates well."_

"...Aha..." Negi chuckled nervously. "So...um-erk!" He was startled when the mistress grabbed him by both of his arms and forced him to thrust the blade even deeper, closing the distance between them a little further. This situation felt a little familiar, though with the perverse undertones that this woman kept on introducing, he couldn't take it nearly as serious as before.

_"You know, you're not bad."_ Lucinda slipped her arms around his back and pressed him against her gently, but painfully. Negi's eyes almost rolled to the back of his head as he felt the hilt of the blade press against his stomach until it completely pierced through and entered him. Lucinda smiled when she heard the squelch of flesh as the gap between them had been completely closed. Negi went limp against her as she embraced him even tighter than before. _"You smell wonderful." _She whispered into his ear after sniffing his neck. A twitch from him told her that he was still somewhat conscious.

_"This blood...Evangel's, but yours at the same time._" She opened her mouth and passed her tongue along the side of his neck before smacking her lips. _"So rich...so sweet...and yet so savory. I will be sure to savor every little drop."_

"...Stop." Lucinda grinned when she heard the young man protest.

_"I'm afraid that I can't." _She whispered in his ear before giving it a little nibble. She turned her attention back to his neck, and bared her lethal fangs. _"Mine."_ She sunk her fangs into his neck, moaning in delight when she felt Negi grip his hands around her waist, more from the instant of pain that accompanied her bite than the feeling of pleasure that usually followed. She slurped happily, feeling her taste buds scream with delight at the exquisite taste that overcame her senses. She felt her hands begin to tremble...her legs...every hair in her body began to stand up...what was this?

**_This taste..._**

_Eva-chan...I'm sorry....I've failed you..._

_**...I've never tasted something so wonderful...**_

_...please forgive me..._

_**...how could something like this exist? Just where did she find this extraordinary young man?!**_

_...dammit...what am I thinking? I can't...give up like this..._

_**Ahhh...feels so warm...so good...I can't....control myself...**_

_...got to fight...back!_

_**T-Tasty....smooth....fuzzy.....snuggly...nom, nom, nom....ahhhhhhhhhhh....**_

_FIGHT!_ "Get away!" Negi shoved the mistress away...and it worked? Wait a minute....what the hell?

"Um...huh?" Negi blinked at how easy it was for him as Lucinda floated away lazily. "Hey."

_She kept floating to the side, her eyes closed with a lazy smile on her face._

"Um...Lucinda?"

_No response..._

"She looks so peaceful..." Negi remarked. "Kind of cute, actually."

_Chachazero smacked him._

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Master, your sword is poking out of your stomach, remember?" The puppet asked, agitatedly. _This woman has repeatedly show how dangerous she is, and he still calls her cute? Geez, master Negi..._

"Oh!" Negi looked down and freaked before removing, said sword. It felt a little painful, pulling it out, but his regenerating abilities kicked in quickly, closing the wound. "That really hurt."

"I'm sure." The puppet growled. "She looks knocked out." She observed, watching as the mistress floated farther and farther away like a paper bag, caught in a gentle wind.

"That's so weird." The young magi dismissed the blade back into the treasure bow, and massaged the back of his neck. "I wonder why..."

_---------------------------------------------------------_

**_"I would assume that it was from drinking your blood."_**

**_"My blood?!"  
_**

**_"Yes. If I recall correctly the mistress said that your blood's richness would develop to an astounding level due to your turning. I'd assume that it developed to such a level that it would send one of the nocturnal class in to a "drunken" state."_**

_---------------------------------------------------------_

_I think I remember Chachamaru telling me something like that... _Negi mused, recalling a conversation he had with the lovely gynoid in the taking a look at the sky above, Negi realized that the sky had returned to its normal state. The fog was completely gone as well. The young magi assumed that the dark mistress must have been completely unconscious. Well, that was good news. He would have to thank the gods later, that the mistress was such a light weight.

"So what do you think, Zero-chan? Can you open up a passage now?" He asked his faithful familiar, his spirits lifted considerably by this unexpected development.

"Sure." The puppet nodded before asking, "Can I stab her though? I'd really like to get back at that tramp for before."

"Of course not!" Negi cried out in horror.

"AW, C'MON! She-"

"You want her to wake up?!"

"...I guess you're right..." Chachazero submitted to his reason, dejectedly. "Sheesh...whatever."

* * *

_**-F-V-A-

* * *

----------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**_Looking to Mahora and it's many heroines...._**

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_"Oh, Eva-chan, I am not worthy of your presence!" _Came the suspiciously feminine voice of a small figurine that resembled Negi Springfield as it bowed down to another figurine that looked suspicisouly enough, a lot like Evangeline McDowell.

_"It seems like you've finally found your place." _Evangeline's voice came from the small figurine of herself. _"But...I suppose you are kind of cute."_

_"Really?!" _A large hand grabbed miniature Negi and made it so that he was trembling with joy. _"You think so?!"_

_"Alright, maybe a little more than that."_ Another hand grabbed miniature Evangeline and made her turn away from the figurine of her disciple. _"You wanna be my pet?"_

_"Your pet?!" _the little Negi was made to bow on the floor again. _"You are too kind!"_

_"Kind, you say?" _The little Eva turned around to regard her disciple before she hopped over to him. _(Since her legs are made of plastic that don't bend to well.) _They stared at each other silently for a few seconds before she pounced on him. Both plastic figurines started scrambling against each other to make it seem as though Negi was struggling against her. _"You should know better than to call me that!"_

_"Ahhh! Have mercy!" _mini Negi pleaded pathetically.

_"Who's your mistress, huh?!" _mini Eva demanded sadistically.

_"You!"_

_"What was that? I don't think I heard you!"_

_"You, mistress Eva!"_

_"That's right! Now lets have some fun!"_

_"Yes, mistre-"_

"Excuse me, mistress?" Chachamaru suddenly entered Evangeline's bedroom, at which point Evangeline chucked the small figurines she was playing with as hard as she could, outside her window. All the gynoid was able to make out was the chibi-vampire swinging her arms forward incredibly fast before two colorful blurs were launched across the room at a frightening speed, still flying at a constant velocity as they left the residence, entirely, to some unknown destination. Just what the hell were those?

"K-knock next time, dammit!" The tiny mistress scolded her servant, looking over her shoulder to regard her.

Chachamaru shifted her posture to the side uncomfortably. "...Have I come at a bad time?"

"N-No." Evangeline stood up from her kneeling position beside her bed, and turned completely to face Chachamaru. "What happened?"

"I wished to know if Negi may have made an attempt to contact you yet."

"Actually, he did." Evangeline answered the gynoid, taking note that Chachamaru had decided to neglect the honorific in addressing the young magi. Perhaps there was something more to their relationship that even she had not been able to catch. No matter though. She told Chachamaru that what she felt for the young man wasn't any of her business. To stick her nose into it now would not be very honorable. "Twice, actually."

"What did he say?"

"Everything is going smoothly." Evangeline replied, placing her hands on her hips. _...Damn, who knew he was capable? I'm definitely going to have to give him more credit for now on._

* * *

_------------------------------------------------------_

_The Conversation:_

**_Brring..._**

Evangeline's eyes went for the phone beside her chair quickly before she yanked it off the receiver with so much force, that she had to catch it with her other hand before it went flying out the window. When she placed her ear against the receiver, she could hear some deep breathing.

"That you, Negi?!" Evangeline asked, gripping the phone to the side of her face.

_"Ev....whoo....Eva? A-am I speakin...ahem, excuse me..." _Negi cleared his throat. _"Eva, is that you?"_

"Of course it is, idiot!" She screamed into the phone. "Who's number do ya' think you just called?!"

_"Oh, thank god."_ Evangeline heard her disciple say.

"Where are you?!"

_"I...don't know. I just stopped at the farthest town I felt was safe enough." _

Evangeline blinked in astonishment before a small grin crossed her lips. "You got away?" Yes, it should have been obvious right now, but the little mistress was still a little shocked to find out that he actually escaped Lucinda's clutches. There was reason to hope for the best after all.

_"Unless this is just a cruel dream waiting to end...I'd like to think so."_

"How did you do it?" Her curiosity started to feel in the mood for a bite.

_"...S'cuse me?" _Negi's voice came over the line rather nervously. He didn't sound too comfortable with her question, however, since Evangeline wasn't really one to care for the issues of the living population in general, she pressed on. She wasn't about to miss out on the chance to know how a fledgling outwitted a dark mistress. This just had to be rich. It was just so inconceivable, and yet, she had to take into account that this was indeed, her disciple. Forget about the minor details about him being Nagi's son because they **were** minor, and god have mercy on your should should you deny it. Evangeline had her claim on every drop of blood in the young man's body, and she trained him herself. His survival was all due in part to her awesome wisdom, and guidance, so don't you think otherwise.

"Well, spill it already." Evangeline prodded him on, tapping her finger on the arm rest of her chair. "You just lived through your first encounter with one of the mightiest forces in the underworld. Don't you want to brag to me about it? Sheesh."

_"A-ah...ah...I-I...."_ Negi began stumbling over his words, his voice wavering. How the hell was he supposed to explain what happened to _her?_ Sure, the young man was naive to an extent, but he had more than enough experience with his mistress to understand that she was the possessive type. Visits from Takane, or simply mentioning the name _'Dorothy'_ around her would prove that much. He wasn't even sure if she was very happy about him living with Konoka and Asuna anymore. She was pretty indifferent about it for a while, but after that tough weekend where she demanded that he take a change of clothes for the next level of training, he started to wonder.

"What?" Evangeline quirked a brow. "You still shaken up about it?"

_"I...I had no choice..." _Negi's voice suddenly became quite serious. Evangeline could swear for a moment that she was having a conversation with a war veteran. His voice got low, and dark. _"I had to do what was necessary..." _Dramatic pause. _"To survive."_

"...You sound like you're freaking out."

_"She just wouldn't get away-"_

"What did Lucinda do to you?" Evangeline's voice took on a dark tone. _Give me the chance to meet her. Just one chance. She'll regret laying a hand on him..._

_"It's...complicated..."_

"Don't give me that shit." Evangeline growled. "What did she do to you?!"

_"Actually...I...uh?" _His voice became rather timid and quiet again.

"Do you want to get me angry?"

_"OK! I'll tell you what happened!" _The young magi cried out in fear. _"S-see, she kind of tried to, er, force herself on me-"_

_WHAT? _Evangeline's left hand clenched around the phone tightly after digesting what her told her so far.

_"-but I was like, NO, but she was like, YES, and then I started to think, what if I just suddenly went, YES, too!"_

"What the fu#?" The vampiress mouthed in confusion.

_"So I went along with it-"_

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

_"BUt not really-really, I just kind of did it to trick her!"_

"And just what did you do with her...IN DETAIL, PLEASE!"

_"Uh...well...we kind of...KISSEDANDTHENITOOKHERTOHERROOMANDSHESAIDTAKEMEANDIWASNTSUREWHATTODOSOIJUSTLEFTHERANDMADEMYESCAPEBUTTHENHERMAIDSATTACKEDMEANDIHADTOFIGHTTHEMWHICHWASKINDOFHARDBUTISHOWEDTHEMAFTERAWHILEANDTHENITRIEDTOESCAPEBUTIREALIZEDWEWEREINANOTHERDIMENSIONANDIWASLIKENOOOOOWAYBUTZEROWASLIKEYESANDTHENLUCINDACAMEBACKANDBITMEANDKINDOFPASSEDOUTANDAFTERTHATIJUSTLEFTANDKEPTONFLYINGUNTILIFELTLIKEIWASSAFE!"_

_Evangeline blinked a few times. She tried her best to decipher the babble that just left her disciples mouth, but there came a point when it just felt impossible...so..._

"...It went smoothly?" Evangeline inquired, fighting off the migraine that suddenly decided to pay her a visit.

"I'd like to think so." Negi replied calmly.

-----------------------------------------------------_

* * *

_

"That is a relief." Chachamaru said with a small smile. Seeing one on her face kind of took the vampiress off guard.

_I'm going to have to find out why the lab brat is doing all of this._ Evangeline sighed, and grabbed a barrette that was sitting on her night table for her hair to fix it into a pony tail that still fell to the floor. Her hair was just so abnormally long that it was ridiculous. Of course, she tried cutting off a bit, but it just ended up growing back the very next day. That aside, she looked to Chachamaru when the gynoid had yet to make any sort of indication of leaving her room, and asked, "There something else you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes." Chachamaru replied with a slight bow of her head. "Sakurazaki, and Kagurazaka are both waiting for you in the living room downstairs."

"Seriously?" Evangeline ran a hand through her hair before shaking her head from side to side to let the strands of hair in her ponytail to settle smoothly. "They're probably here to ask about the boya, no doubt."

"Perhaps."

"...Why do you always respond that way?" The vampiress glared at her servant with a twitching eyebrow. "You have something you wanna say?"

"Perhaps it may be to discuss the manner in which you handled, Ms. Konoe." The gynoid hinted, standing up to the glare that was directed at her for her bold words. "I hear that she has gone into a depression ever since then."

"That bubbly girl?" Evangeline questioned with a hint of intrigue in her voice. She stroked her chin, looking out into the distance and muttered, "I didn't even think she was capable of any negative emotion."

"...Negi did leave, after all. One would expect this sort of reaction."

"I don't know why they're making such a big deal." The tiny blood sucker scoffed, tossing her hair to the side.

_Odd, hearing those words from you. _Chachamaru resisted the urge to say such words out loud, but after hearing from Negi about how she reacted after hearing about his leave, she would have placed that reaction at the top of the list. Some girls wept, and others became infuriated by the news of the young man's absence, but Evangeline almost attempted to kill him...or not. It was hard to tell what she had in mind. Another woman would have come to mind, but seeing as how Mana Tatsumiya had no way of having Negi within arms reach at the present moment, her evaluation would come much later.

"Oi." Evangeline called the gynoid's attention when she seemed to lapse into a daydream.

Chachamaru swiveled her eyes to her mistress in a near mechanical fashion upon being called. "Yes, mistress?"

"What's got you so absorbed?"

"...A sense of trepidation." The gynoid replied in a cool fashion before turning to make her leave.

"A sense...a feeling..." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Why should those things matter to _you?"_

Descending the staircase, Evangeline spotted Asuna and Setsuna sitting on the couch, side by side, wearing casual clothes that consisted of nothing too fancy; just shirts and jeans. Asuna, as she always looked whenever she had to have a meeting with Evangeline, had a frown on her face that didn't look the least bit hopeful. She knew what to expect whenever she faced the pint sized vampire, and it was never pleasant. Setsuna on the other hand wore a dispassionate look on her lovely face. She let her hair down instead of fixing it to the side as she usually did. It did well to reflect her mood somewhat. Konoka's recent behavior had mellowed down a little bit, but her smile had not returned. She still had not regained the life she was once blessed with. Naturally, this affected the crow demon for obvious reasons, or whatever reasons you others want to include...because I know you want to.

"I guess I should've expected this to happen sooner or later." The dark girl said with a light chuckle as she took her seat on the couch across from them. When she crossed her legs, she folded her hands upon her lap with a smirk. "What's eating you two?"

"We're not here for what you did to, Konoka, if that's what you think." Asuna stated outright. "Even though I'd like to repay the favor."

"That wouldn't do you much good." Evangeline said, unfazed by her subtle threat. "You wouldn't want to make the boya sad, now would you?"

"He is actually the subject of conversation." Setsuna spoke out, getting the vampire's attention.

"Huh?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow. "You wanna talk about _the good ole' days _or something silly like that?"

"You know what we want!" The red-head snapped at her vehemently. "Stop playing with us."

"Surely, he must have contacted you." Setsuna added on calmly.

"Hmm." The blonde girl studied the swordsman's face with great interest before going on to say, "I'd figure you'd be more worried about making the peace with the others by now. Why are you so eager to know about him when he brought this down on your head?"

There was a slight twitch in Setsuna's left eye, but nothing more. "That doesn't matter to me." Her words made Asuna, and Evangeline curious. "Holding this burden on my shoulders is an honor." A faint smile crossed her lips slowly; the first genuine smile that had been on her face for a while. "Had Negi-kun been so kind as to honor me with the privilege of accompanying him on his travels, I would have done so without hesitation, but until then, I will fulfill his wish to me until he returns, and I shall do so gladly."

"...Setsuna..." Asuna breathed out her name in wonder. _Could she have been much closer to him than me all this time? _Asuna wasn't sure why she felt a twinge at the very thought. _...Dammit, Negi. What made her so much more dependable than me?_

"How touching." Said Evangeline, though the dull tone in her voice didn't exactly make her words seem genuine. "I mean it. I don't know what the hell you two shared before he left, but god bless you." A hint of bitterness passed in her words.

"Will you tell us?" Setsuna nudged on, letting her words slide by.

"Why should I?"

"It would help put our minds at ease." The swordsman replied. "It wouldn't be asking too much."

"Look, we wouldn't have come if there was another way." Asuna grumbled, heatedly. "Unfortunately, we know how much he confides in you, even though to this day I'm still tossing and turning in my sleep to know just why. He doesn't call us, and he hasn't left us anyway to contact him." The red-head pointed an accusing finger at the vampiress. "That just leaves you as our only source, and don't you dare tell us that we're wrong."

"I've told you before, I don't speak with brats." Evangeline denied them. "Go on, already. Don't you have some homework to do?"

"You little-" Asuna was about to return fire, but a halting hand from the friend beside her pulled back the cannons.

"Tell me, Eva-san..." Setsuna began.

"What?" Evangeline rested her chin in one hand, regarding the girl with a bored expression.

"You felt something when he left, didn't you?" The young woman asked her, the look on her face resembling a stoic mask. Evangeline's eyes narrowed slightly, but it was barely noticeable to anyone who wasn't paying any close attention to the features of her face. Setsuna; however, was the type to take in every small detail. She knew that she touched a spot, even if it was a small one.

"This heartless demon?" Asuna scoffed, jabbing a thumb at Evangeline. "I doubt it."

"Now, Asuna, you know just as I do that that is not true." Setsuna told her friend before turning her attention back to the chibi-vampire. "Eva-san has proved on occasion that she feels something for our, sensei."

Evangeline scoffed at her choice of words. "Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes. "As if I'd feel anything for that stupid kid."

"You could have fooled me." Setsuna countered her words without hesitation. "When you first came to his rescue in Kyoto, I had the impression that it was all the headmaster's doing, but after a talk with him I found out otherwise. Then you took him in as your disciple, something I'm quite sure you enjoyed." Setsuna folded her hands on her lap before parting them and pressing her fingertips against each other. "Afterward you had him move in with you. Deny it as you will, but that meant something."

_...Dammit. _Evangeline thought with a scowl. "You're looking for little meanings that don't exist."

"Well then, I seriously don't understand what he saw." Asuna suddenly said, catching the vampiress off guard. "It was always Eva this, and Eva that when he got back from your house. God, he practically worshipped you. If anyone so much as made a snide comment about you, he'd always be the first to stand in your defense!" She slapped her hands against her knees, and turned her head away from Evangeline roughly. "But look at you...you just don't give a shit. He doesn't mean anything to you."

"You think I care?" Evangeline growled, making Setsuna smirk.

_Just keep it up, Asuna. _The swordsman inwardly cheered her friend on as she continued ranting.

"Look, whatever, okay?" Asuna shot at her. "I just think it's really a shame. I sort of had my doubts about you whenever he spoke. He always painted this picture of, _Evangeline the Saint._ I swear, he loved everything about you, from your smile-"

_Smile? _Evangeline suddenly felt a little self conscious. _What about my smile?_

"-your cute attitude-"

_Cute attitude?! What the hell does he think is so cute about my attitude?_

"-how kind you are-"

_I told him never to call me that! He's so dense sometimes..._

_"-_how fun it is to be with you-"

_He thinks...I'm fun to be with?_

"-it was just so stupid." Asuna spat, crossing her arms. "So, I tried looking out for it, but every time I meet with you, you prove him wrong. You're just evil, you know that? He sees you as a friend, and you just see him as a worthless guy that gets on your nerves, but you'll see...it won't be now because I know he's coming back. Negi wouldn't let anything keep him apart from us, so I know he'll return, but one day...just one day...he'll leave permanently, and _then _it'll hit you." Asuna narrowed her eyes until they were slits. All the venom was going to leave her mouth now. "Who'll be around to put up with you, then?

_"shhHUT UP!" _Evangeline suddenly just exploded, causing the red-head to jump back in her seat. "The hell do you know, huh?! Don't go on saying things about matters that you don't understand!" Her fingers started biting into the armrests of the chair, as her nails started to grow into claws. "What he says about me is his own damn personal feelings. He doesn't need you to go around dirtying them while he's gone."

"You've got some nerve!" Asuna managed to shoot out, regaining her composure after being knocked back by the dark girl's scream.

"That's enough." Setsuna held back her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. When Asuna finally backed down, she turned back to regard the mistress. "I think I made my point. What ever you just felt right now, we've been feeling since the moment he left. As someone who knows how it is, will you assist us now?"

Evangeline remained silent for a long time.....

_"...Tch...Damn, you're so annoying." _The little vampire growled after a time in deep thought. _"Whatever. It won't kill me..."

* * *

_

**-F-V-A-

* * *

**

.................................

..............................................

.....................................................

_It was dark in the small shrine house as a lone, shapely figure curled in the covers like a small, harmless child. It gave off an odd illusion that did not seem fit for the dark beauty that she was, and she was a dangerous beauty at that. She shifted to the side as she nibbled on a strand of the dark, silk hair that covered most of her face, letting her hand fall on something metallic, and felt for it before taking it into her hand and holding it close to her like a teddy bear. Of course, Mana Tatsumiya knew better than to sleep with a loaded rifle, but she felt that it was the only thing that could comfort her now, even if that source of comfort was cold, hollow, and dangerous. Perhaps there was just something about it that made her feel a sort of affinity for it. After all, did she feel any different? The one thing that made her whole was now gone, out of her reach._

_The lovely marksman placed the cool surface against the side of her cheek, and a smile played upon her lips..._

_**"Negi...would you hum me that tune again?"**_

_**

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Well...quite a few things have come to pass, and the road ahead of us will be long, and testing. No, I'm not talking about the story itself, but anyway, how goes it, dear friends? The atmosphere down here has become slightly uncomfortable to breathe in, but I'm holding myself quite well. Que sera, sera. Getting away from that, the holidays are coming in, and I just can't wait. I'm drowning in responsibilities, and I just need something to let me off, if even for just a day or two. My job is eating away at my social life! Well...writing fanfiction too, but that's something I enjoy. Don't know exactly why, but I haven't been feeling myself. I hope it hasn't reflected in my writing though...(Looks up)...geez, I just can't tell. On the bright side, no cliffie for this chappy...sort of. I don't think that last scene can really be considered one, and it was a nice breather to shy away from the chaos that Negi and Kotaro is experiencing anyway. I wouldn't want to make a mess this early in the series._

_So, getting on with the business of things, the harem vote won. (Kind of saw that coming.)_

_...however, those who were against it shall not be ignored! I will deliver the Eva x Negi scenes you desire, you can trust me on that. Besides, this isn't going to stray away from the main couple, so don't fret so much. I wrote this fic with the hopes of inspiring more Eva X Negi fics. If I turned toward another direction now, it would defeat the purpose! So please...somebody contribute to Undying Wizard's fandom, eh?! I'm up to my neck in KonoSetsu, and I can't work up the nerve to read em' anymore! ....*Drowns*....

* * *

_

_Ahem...thanks for the awesome feedback, by the way. I don't think I've ever blushed that much before in a while._

_...*shifty eyes*...  
_

_...I don't think I'll be ending this love affair anytime soon, though._

_--------------------------------------------------_

_**Question Time...**_

_**------------------------------------**_

_**Q. **Are you ever going to put all the Dark mistress he met and will meet in one room with Negi in it? _

_**A. **I think that would be the '**bad ending'**. Sorry, just finished reading School Days last night. BEST HAREM EVER._

_**Q. **When you write this story, do you write as you type or plan everything to be written then type it out?_

_**A. **I do a better job when I plan as I type. It helps me pull out the plot twists a bit easier._

_**Q. **Will there also be a "Eva x Lucinda scene" from the past or something like that?_

_**A. **Of course._

_**Q. **So can we count on Lord Dracula showing up? How about a Belmont? Or Castlevania?_

_**A. **I was going to dedicate a chapter to parodying it, but the idea kind of slipped away from me._

_**Q. **Negi...Lucinda...stop...WHY!?_

_**A. **This sort of question just keeps on returning in different incarnations, huh?_

_**Q.**_ _If Konoka won`t go homicidal on Eva`s ** why not Asuna? She does have that big sword thing._

_**A. **Hmm...excuse me while I go reference from Ansem's fic......OH MY GOD, IT'S KONOKA! GET IN THE CAR!  
_

**Q.** _Does Mana do anything else? I mean she has the cash and skills to chase him after all._

_**A. **Oh, we shall see...._

_**Q.**_ _These dark mistress characters... Will we see more of their past and backgrounds? I was wondering and this is a niggling feeling that all of them were turned by the same person ergo forming that bond of sorts with them._

_**A. **I'll flesh them out as I go along._

_**Q. **Is Dorothy going to show up later on? Or is she complete dead?_

_**A. **Let the poor girl sleep. She'll have her time._

_**Q. **How much of the original Red Wings will we be seeing running around._

_**A. **They'll show up...argh...t-too...many...characters..._

_**To SpiritBlade****: **I apologize for not sending you an answer sooner. For your first question, yes they'll come at the end...I'll inform you on how many when I get to developing them. Of course, one of them will definitely take after Evangeline. It'll be interesting to see how Chao reacts to her. As for your second question, I am still trying to find a plausible way to make it possible. I just don't want to set off on an alternate plot in the middle of the story. Maybe you'd like to elaborate on that a little bit more? As fascinating as it sounds, affecting an entire race that has been living on for centuries would be an overwhelming plot device. I'd assume it would be a very slow process if we're talking about something that big.  


* * *

_

Well, take care...

_Traingham_

_P.S: I have a suspicion that the new princess that Nagi is protecting (Check out the new chapter of the manga) might be Negi's mother..._

_...but that's just me...of course, Ken likes to do that sort of thing to throw people off, so....  
_


	9. Of Moons and Roses

_Disclaimer: I don't own Negima or any of their vibrant character, but I do own these guys..._

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**The Character Stats****  
**_

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_The Ladies..._**

* * *

Lucinda McVicar _(Undead)_

Race: Nosferatu/ ???

Gender: Female

Class: Elder Class Mistress

Eyes: Storm Gray

Hair: Silver (Hint of Grayness. Long, falls over shoulders.)

_Description: _First seen as a knight in Camilla's battalion. She claims to be a natural born from the demolished capital of the dark country, Jezebellia, a claim that others cannot take seriously since it was said to be the first fated battle ground where the vampires first engaged the demon legion. All the inhabitants fought against the risen army and perished. Most people who meet Lucinda McVicar describe her as an individual who distorts reality. Her very existence appears to be an anomaly._  
_

_- Flirtatious, and laid back._

_-Obtained blade from 'Second Circle' of Hell  
_

_-Very popular among adolescent vampires_

_-Declared 'Sex Symbol' in 1785  
_

_-Had a deep friendship with Evangeline McDowell in the past, which ended bitterly._

_-Holds title, 'Undying Siren'_

* * *

Seraphina Elman _(Undead)_

Race: Nosferatu

Gender: Female

Class: Dark Mistress

Eyes: Dark Blue

Hair: Snow White _(Short, feathers around face)_

_Description:_ A knight from Camilla's battalion. She's a strict young woman that was usually known for keeping Lucinda McVicar in line when they served together. She develops a sort of partnership with Evangeline McDowell during their time serving together that hints towards a friendship; however, it never runs any deeper than a trust in each other. For mysterious reasons she turns against her centuries later, and takes Dorothy Summers under her wing.

_-Temperamental and serious_

_-Obtained blade from 'Fourth Circle' of Hell_

_-A Strategic genius  
_

_-Self conscious of her short height  
_

_-Current status unknown_

_-Held title, 'Fallen Seraphim'_

* * *

Morrigan Slade _(Undead)_

Race: Nosferatu

Gender: Female

Class: Dark Mistress

Eyes: Constantly shifts color

Hair: Red _(Usually in a long braided ponytail)_

_Description: _A white mage from Camilla's battalion. In her younger days, serving alongside the other future mistresses, she was timid and easily frightened. She usually found herself being teased by Lucinda McVicar. She takes a liking to Evangeline McDowell and begins to look up to her as a big sister; however, after things between her and the others start to tear apart, she learns to depend on herself. Passing years change her personality dramatically, and she becomes one of the most feared mistresses in the underworld.

_-Cold and vicious (A front to shield her weaknesses)_

_-Obtained her blade from 'First Circle' of Hell  
_

_-Complete mastery over white magic_

_-Follows fashion trends closely  
_

_-Still has a lingering respect for Evangeline and Lucinda_

_-Holds title, 'Untamed Valkyrie'  
_

* * *

Lucifera Augustus _(Undead)_

Race: Nosferatu

Gender: Female

Class: Dark Mistress

Eyes: Gold

Hair: Black_ (Shoulder Length)_

_Description: _A black mage from Melchiah's battalion. An inverted mirror of Morrigan. In her younger days, serving alongside the other future mistress, she was very cocky and easily set off by cowardice. She admires her commander, Melchiah Clementine. It is because of this young infatuation that she holds a hostility for Evangeline McDowell when he takes a fancy to her. She wields a sword well, but she takes a mastery over the whip long after her service. As the years pass on, she becomes a calm and leveled individual; however, she harbors a dormant personality that can be triggered under the right conditions.

_-Calm and reasonable_

_-A masochist  
_

_-Fights alongside Morrigan during the siege on Hell  
_

_-Complete Mastery over black magic  
_

_-Met Nagi Springfield when he was still a reckless teenager_

_-Still holds a lingering flame for her former commander, Melchiah _

_-Holds title, 'Devil Princess'  
_

* * *

Eliza Une & Milan Une _(Undead)_

Race: Nosferatu

Gender: Female

Class: Clan Generals

Eyes: Hazelnut

Hair: Dark Blue (Bordering on black, reaching their waists)

_Description: _Saved from a life of sexual slavery by Seraphina Elman, these twins have devoted their lives to her. Eliza is the cheery twin, and Milan is near emotionless. Their opposing personalities are simply covers for the dark and twisted lunatics that dwell within their battered and tattered souls. Being turned at the young age of twelve, Eliza and Milan prefer to remain as young girls rather than turning to the arts of illusionary magic to appear as though they've aged.

_-Dress alike all the time_

_-Appear to have a joy in attending classes, transferring to different schools at whim_

_-Devote themselves to Seraphina Elman_

_-Fear Lucinda McVicar_

* * *

Alice Dalziel (Undead)

Race: Nosferatu/ Shinso

Gender: Female

Class: New Age Mistress

Eyes: Crimson

Hair: Strawberry blonde _(Changes hairstyles constantly)_

_Description: _A young mistress hailed by the shinso nation as the next _'Dark Evangel'. _She has many estates in the mundane world that her clanswomen usually reside in, and tends to travel to all of them to check in on them from time to time. She is an excellent fighter, capable of wielding different types of weapons with natural ease and grace, though she is usually seen equipped with a rapier. Her mastery does not lie within conventional magic, but rather the arts of Alchemy. This makes her unpredictable.

_-Proud and easily attached  
_

_-Constantly trying to better herself to become like Evangeline McDowell_

_-Holds little respect for men_

_-Always carries a 'self help' book around with her_

* * *

Esthar Vermillion _(Living)_

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Wolven Valkyrie

Eye: Red

Hair: Grey (Cropped)

_Description:_ A young warrior that served in Olivia's Battalion. One who observes before taking action, she is favored by her fellow generals. She looks up to Olivia Locke as an older sister, and constantly finds herself confiding in her despite her cold nature. Her mastery over the sword is noteworthy, however, it pales in comparison to her outstanding telekinetic prowess. She has found herself in the interest of Adrian Mortis, but his feelings are not returned.

_-Outspoken and patient_

_-Has a liking for philosophy_

_-Admires a fictional character from fighting series (Likes to imitate the 'Shoryuken')_

_-Wears headbands_

* * *

Olivia Locke (Living)

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Elder Class Valkyrie

Eye: Red

Hair: Black _(Done up in a bun)_

_Description: _A Lycan general that served during the Nexus war. During battle she appears to be a cold and merciless killer, which sometimes unsettled her fellow warriors; however, outside of the battle field, she appears to be a very quiet woman who drowns herself in books. She can usually be found in libraries, or locked away in a bathroom. This sort of behavior makes her somewhat naive to the world around her, and causes long lines to form outside of a restroom.

_-Quiet and somewhat naive_

_-Fights bare handed_

_-Superior telekinetic powers_

_-Has a tendency to quote from the books she has read_

* * *

Eve Iscariot_ (Living)  
_

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Wolven Valkyrie

Eye: Chocolate _(Fake glasses to set herself apart)_

Hair: Black _(Shoulder length)_

_Description: _A warrior that served in the Nexus war. A woman who always expects the worst to befall her, others find it hard to stay calm around her. Due to her pessimistic view on life, she constantly indulges herself in the guilty pleasure that life has to offer her. She drinks a lot, and she has an addiction to chocolate that disturbs what friends she can keep with her. Her lack of inner tranquility affects her telekinetic abilities, weakening them considerably.

_-Negative and quick to snap at others_

_-Wears a pair of fake glasses (Only lycan Negi will meet with them on)_

_-Impervious to the effects of alcohol_

_-Weak telekinetic powers_

* * *

Veran Belmont _(Living)_

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Wolven Valkyrie

Eye: Blue

Hair: Brown

_Description: _A summoner that served in Olivia's battalion. Veran is quite the disciplined young woman, always one to follow the rules. This personality usually tends to have her tested by others who feel that she needs to break free, and have fun. She believes that the just will always triumph, and that evil will perish. Unfortunately, she has a tendency to fall into crying fits. Any presence of negative emotion, whether it be an arguing couple or a crying child, will lead her to cry for no apparent reason.

_-A follower of the rules and upholder of justice_

_-telekinetic powers limited to reading minds_

_-Constantly made fun of for her last name_

_-Plays keepy ups with anything (Tennis balls, bean bags, you know... sometimes people, on occasion)_

* * *

Lillith Tribal _(Living)_

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Mercenary

Eye: Green

Hair: Blonde

_Description:_ A mercenary that served in the Nexus War. A woman with a devil-may-care personality. Her home was burned down to the ground during an engagement between a vampire and lycan armament. She has no biased views, and will even serve under a human or vampire, given the weight of their wallet. She specializes in daggers, and explosives. She also has a sadistic side that comes into play whenever she has to torture her victims.

_-Could care less about how others view her_

_-Mastery over binding others with her telekinetic abilities_

_-Always advertising something on her clothes (Jackets, usually)_

_-Donates her money to orphanages_

* * *

Caska Inugami _(Living)_

Race: Dog Demon

Gender: Female

Class: Heiress to Inugami arts

Eye: Gray

Hair: Black_ (Short)  
_

_Description: _Older sister to Kotaro Inugami, with a personality that proves it. Kanako Inugami blames her for influencing their younger brother with her rebellious personality. She is a tomboy, hardly one to show her feminity, which bothers her fiance, Kamui. On the surface she seems like the sister to bully her brother, however, she wishes the best for him. She has also admitted to envying him for his willingness to stand up to their mother.

_-Tomboy_

_-Plans to leave her hometown and travel the world of mundanes_

_-Third strongest in the Inugami arts so far_

_-Dresses in very loose clothing_

* * *

Kanako Inugami _(Living)_

Race: Dog Demon

Gender: Female

Class: Heiress to Inugami arts

Eye: Silver

Hair: Black_ (Long)  
_

_Description: _Older sister to Kotaro Inugami. Kanako is vey loyal and respectful to their mother to the point that she would accept the marriage engagement forced upon her without protest. This leads to her butting heads with her brother, and sometimes her sister, Caska. She always dresses formally, and is one to get to the point. She can easily get upset with someone if she feels that their logic is wrong.

_-Proper and obedient_

_-Follows her mother without hesitation_

_-Fourth strongest in the Inugami arts so far_

_-Cares deeply for her younger brother despite not being outward about it_

* * *

Tomoko Tsukino _(Living)_

Race: Dog Demon

Gender: Female

Class: Noble

Eye: Black

Hair: Snow White

_Description: _The daughter of one of the town elders. Tomo has lived most of her life being spoiled by her father and getting whatever she wants. Due to her wedlock to Kotaro Inugami, she spent a lot of time with him in her childhood mostly treating him as her servant, but she had developed feelings for him and as most things she desired, she expected him to simply surrender himself to her. Kotaro proved to be a force out of her grasps, however, so she did her best to appeal to him in whatever ways possible. If that didn't work, she had other methods in mind.

_-Spoiled and possessive_

_-Trained in the Inugami art_

_-A cunning young woman who can be deceitful should she see any benefit from it_

_-Likes to learn different dancing styles_

* * *

Motoko Himura_ (Living)_

Race: Lycan

Gender: Female

Class: Bounty Hunter

Eye: Olive

Hair: Red

_Description: _With dreams of attaining the title of 'Wolven Valkyrie', Motoko Himura is determined to make herself known to the underworld, so when she gets a job from Adel Rayhart to take down a _'Dark Lord'_ by the name of, Negi Springfield, she jumps at the opportunity. This promising young woman soon finds out; however, that she has gotten herself into something far more challenging than she had anticipated. Meeting the young magi, she may find that her hopes and dreams may be compromised.

_-Impulsive and clueless to the awesome forces that surround her_

_-Refuses to acknowledge Negi as her equal_

_-Dresses in gray all the time  
_

_-Walks around with headphones in her ears all the time (Finds that she fights more effectively with music)_

* * *

Lil Mika' _(Undead)_

Race: Nocturnal

Gender: Female

Class: News Reporter

Eye: Blue_ (Contacts)_

Hair: Blue _(Dye)_

_Description: _Mika, known as Lil' Mika to all of her viewers, has found herself some overwhelming competition, and she needs to pull her ratings up quickly or she'll lose her popularity, so why not base her reports on the hottest thing to ever hit the underworld in centuries? You know, Negi Springfield! Watch as she disguises herself, sneaks into mansions and clubs, and risks her life, time after time, just to get the latest scoop on our hero. Did Negi just dump Lucinda McVicar after having a one night stand with her? Of course not, but it would make a pretty good story, right? One that gets rumors going all around the underworld, and starts to draw a lot of unwanted attention to the hapless young man...

_-Hyperactive and determined_

_-Will bend stories to get the attention of the audience_

_-Is cruel to her camera men  
_

_-Is dodged by Negi at all costs_

_-Dresses in gothic lolita styles_

* * *

Katherine Rosenthal _(Living)_

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Class: Vampire Hunter

Eye: Blue

Hair: Black (_Waist Length. Sometimes braided, left in a pony tail, or simply let down)_

_Description:_ Katherine has always been sure that what she had been doing was all in God's name. She protected the pure, and killed the damned. All of this started to become a little distorted after she had a meeting with Negi Springfield. She is the best at what she does, leading a group of other hunters, however, due to the nature of her job, she has found comfort in the welcoming arms of alcohol, which can make her hard to tolerate at time. She is a mechanical genius, capable of fixing and creating things, no matter how limited her resources.

_-A smooth and daring person_

_-Rides an absurdly customized motorcycle with skills that would put professionals to shame_

_-Secret addiction to rpg videogames_

_-Gets into constant arguments with Dorothy_

* * *

Chao Xue_ (Living)_

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Class: Mad Scientist

Eye: Gold

Hair: Black _(Usually done in buns)_

_Description: _A chef of unbelievable skill during the day, and a mad scientist breaking the rules at night. Xue's inventions have made quite a stir in the mage council, and they would like to put an end to them; however, this young woman pushes on, and pushes...and pushes until they can't let her go on any longer. They have sent representatives to speak with her only to have them refused, and they have sent skilled mages to aprehend her, only to have them return with bruises and wounds. Who would have thought that she would fall in love with a mage...and a vampire to boot?

_-Clever and manipulative_

_-Capable of creating weapons and inventions that blur the line between mundane science and magic_

_-Eventually leads to Negi's trouble with the mage council_

_-Has a spirit that attracts all that meet her_

* * *

Camilla_ (Deceased)_

Race: Dhampir

Gender: Female

Class: 'Commander'

Eye: Silver

Hair: Crimson _(Short)_

_Description: Commander of a battalion that would later come to decide the fate of the underworld. Camilla is a young woman that believes that her life is meant to be an instrument of use for those who can bring a greater good to the world. Because of this, she takes missions blindly, rushing head on with sword drawn to cut down all that keep her from completing them. She loves her father dearly, but believes his humanity to be something that does not benefit to her. Her mother is an enigmatic figure in her life that she hopes to become much like despite never meeting her. In response, she turns to Mistress Beatrix as a mother figure and follows her orders without question until she is faced with a decision that rocks her entire perception of the world forever..._

_-A woman of honor and loyalty_

_-Writes all of her private thoughts and experiences in a journal that leaves an impact on the underworld_

_-A tragic heroine_

_-Leaves a lasting influence on all the future Dark Mistresses_

_-"Will be, always and forever, our commander....."_

* * *

_Well, that takes care of volume one of the character profiles..._

_Oh yeah, just to get some thing out of the way-_

_1) Mana has not gone insane. She was merely dreaming in her sleep. __(You'll see more of that later.)_

_2) Heh, I didn't think a drunk Lucinda would get so many different reactions. Hey, no one's perfect..._

_3) Yes, you totally caught on to that Spaceballs reference!_

* * *

Question Time

* * *

_**Q. **Out of curiosity though will the action figures that Eva was playing with make another appearance?_

_**A. **Believe it or not, they're going to save Negi's life one day...._

_**Q.**When will you actually remember Negi is a mage so like spells? When will we see more of your latin or even greek based magic?_

_**A. **I'd say when magic becomes necessary. If you're referring to the fight with the maids, magic would have alerted the mistress, ne?_

_**Q. **When and how does Negi meet Xao? I`m not sure since Negi is immortal that Xao isn`t an event in the far distant future and if so are you planning a time skip sort of twists to the story?_

_**A. **Some time soon._

_**Q. **Setsuna...I feel you plan for the whole class to go out to find him when they get a sniff of him...Is that in the cards?_

_**A. **....I don't really know how to answer that..._

_**Q. **Will Negi be drinking straight from the vein any time soon?_

_**A. **Yep._

_**Q. **How exactly do you form a pactio with a marionette anyway? I refer to Chachazero`s scene in the original fic_

_**A. **That's a question that will take all of my creativity to answer at a later time. I dare say...through a kiss? Hmmm...too simple..._

_**Q. **So the happy scene of Negi babysitting all of the dark mistresses is not out of reach?_

_**A. **It can happen..._

_**Q. **When can we expect that German slayer chick?_

_**A. **Give me some time to plan her intro..._

* * *

Well, Take care...

Traingham....


	10. 01

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its wonderful characters…_

_**Fang Vice Addiction  
**_

_**Chapter -01-: The Holiday Saga, II**  
_

_By Traingham_

* * *

To Evangeline McDowell, sleep was one of the most wonderful things in her un-life because it was one of the very few activities that did not require her to deal with _life_ in general. Second to that was video games, however, that was part of a more personal side of her everyday routine. Sleep whisked her away into a deep, dark void, devoid of all thought and emotions. There the half wits and annoying brats couldn't reach her with their petty, little problems or pointless games. In her opinion, it offered her everything that she ever wanted out of the cruel game of existence that she was unable to release herself from. Then again, that might have been pushing it just a little bit. It didn't provide her with _everything _that she desired even though that was something that she would ever admit. In fact, it provided her with certain things that she would much rather go on without...nightmares. Surprised? Well, even the fearsome _'Dark Evangel' _could be tormented by such dreaded visions despite the fact that many who knew her considered her to be the embodiment of the very essence of nightmares. She hated them so much. In actuality, they weren't so much nightmares as they were flashbacks into the life she lived before she decided to leave the world of darkness and broaden her horizons.

_So...damn annoying. _The chibi vampire knit her brow as she brought the covers up to her chin in an attempt to keep herself from waking up. Being the Shinso that she was, opening her eyes would ensure that sleep wouldn't come to her for another day or so. It was like trying to force oneself to sleep after having four cups of espresso, it just didn't work. Unfortunately her heightened senses picked up some approaching foot steps at the door of her room. They certainly didn't belong to Chachamaru...

"Hm?" The girl groaned, opening one eye by mistake. _Oh, that did it..._

Her door opened to reveal Negi Springfield, wearing some black, jean shorts and and a matching muscle shirt. He didn't have any sandals or sneakers on so it would have seemed as though he had made himself comfortable in her home, something he had lacked the boldness to do ever since he moved out. His hair wasn't exactly done in the usual style either, left down instead of the small ponytail that he sported all the time. Evangeline rubbed her eyes with a frown on her face before she directed them to the breakfast platter that the young vampire was holding. Now what was this, breakfast in bed? Now put yourself in her shoes if you would. _(As if some of you had not done it before...) _Your incompetent disciple _-At least you tell him he is- _has decided to greet you in the morning with breakfast in bed. That would, of course, be the same disciple who would flinch at your every sudden movement, appearing to be walking on egg shells whenever he happened to be in your presence. This sort of move wasn't exactly...normal? Nah, that word does the feeling no justice, but whatever.

"Good morning, Evangeline." Evangeline had to wonder why hearing him say her name so naturally had such an effect on her. The moment it left his lips, she had completely snapped out of her morning daze. "I wanted to make today a little special for you, so I cooked you breakfast." She originally expected for him to come to her side of the bed and place the tray on her lap carefully, but he set the tray down on her night table and climbed into bed with her instead, rightly drawing her suspicion. Her small hands gripped the mattress uncomfortably as her skin tingled with his warmth. If Albireo was playing one of his stupid tricks on her again she was going to go to that library right now and slap him around until his face was too swollen for him to smile.

"You cooked me breakfast?" Evangeline questioned disbelievingly as she stared into his brilliant orbs. There was a strangely subtle smile on his lips as he just sort of leaned over in her direction ever so slightly. She caught herself admiring the definition in his muscles as he did. All of that training she was putting him through was sure beginning to show. Now, if only he could be a little more confident in himself. "This isn't something I'd expect from you."

"Adds to the surprise, doesn't it?" The young magi asked her casually, reaching a hand over her shoulder without her notice. The vampiress was caught off guard when he gripped it gently, and pulled her toward him. She even surprised herself when she offered him no resistance. She allowed him to lean her against him without a word. Sure, her expression didn't change much, one eyebrow still quirked in confusion as she tried to make something of what was happening to her. Did Negi grow a spine over night or something? Did he have a sudden epiphany as he was lying in bed last night, finally realizing her for the brilliant woman that she was? Did the little wuss finally catch on to all of the signs she practically smacked him with on a daily basis?

_No way. _Evangeline was not the hopeful type if you hadn't noticed.

"Now," He lifted her up for a moment to seat her between his legs, "Here you go." He placed the platter on her lap before going to work on her shoulders. To say that Evangeline was experiencing bliss may have been a direct hit. The vampiress felt her cheeks heat up as she lifted the fork and knife from both sides of her breakfast dish and dug in. Oddly enough the expression on her face had yet to shift at all, even as she munched on a triangular slice of toast. Sure, the fact that his sweet scent was practically enveloping her was beginning to register in the back of her mind, as was the creeping sense of warmth and security that permeated in her from being seated with him in such an intimate position, but it was all going a little too well. Why was her day moving along so nicely?

"What's the matter, Eva?" Negi asked her warmly as he continued to rub her back. "You're much quieter than usual. It makes me wonder if I'm doing something wrong by all this."

"I'm just having a little trouble figuring something out." Evangeline answered him, setting down her fork and knife.

"Can I help?" Negi offered her innocently.

Evangeline nodded, turning her head slightly so she could regard him with one eye suspiciously. "Why are you doing this, boya?"

"Because you're my master." Negi told her with just that right hint of affection in his voice to get a rise out of her. "I wanna take care of you today." He halted his ministrations to her so that he could wrap his arms around her waist. He rested his head on her shoulder and nuzzled the side of her cheek lightly with his own. It was almost enough to have a girl melt in his hands, but Evangeline was no simple girl. She was far from it. "You deserve some appreciation every now and then."

"Appreciation...for what?" Evangeline found her voice getting a little sweeter on her than she intended.

"For being my mistress." Negi answered her smoothly. "I wouldn't be the person I am without you."

"That's a stupid reason." Evangeline grumbled, doing her best not to lean her head against his, no matter how tempting it felt to her. "Can't you think of a better reason to do something like this?"

Negi didn't respond immediately, seemingly taking a moment to think that one over before he replied, "Unfortunately not. It doesn't take much from you to make me happy."

"Feh." Evangeline made him lift his head of her shoulder. _Keep teasing me like this, Negi, and I'll make you sorry. _"Don't think that you can sweet talk me, idiot. I wasn't born yesterday."

"Alright, then." Negi pulled back from her, sending a little twinge of disappointment through her chest at the feeling of his warm arms slipping away from her waist. She had to stop herself from moaning in protest. "If you want to know my real reason that much, I'll tell you."

_I should have known that there was more to this. He's easier to see through than glass..._

"Promise you won't get mad at me, though." He told her with a chuckle.

"I don't make promises."

"If you say so." Negi told her before he wrapped an arm around her waist again to have her turn to the side a bit. He did the same so that their eyes could meet. "I was hoping that I could catch you off guard so I could get a glimpse of that beautiful smile again. You know..." He leaned forward a little, giving her the impression that he might have been trying to steal a kiss from her. "...the one that you gave me that night on the festival so long ago?"

"...Er..." Evangeline said nothing more, continuing to stare at him like a cat mesmerized by two diamond orbs.

"Can't say that you're being fair, though." Negi said, feigning a sigh. "You made me give myself away. Can't be helped now." He carefully slipped his legs away from her sides and shuffled away to sit on the side of the bed with his back to her. Evangeline could only stare at him, having lost interest in the breakfast he cooked for her. It wasn't until he looked over his shoulder to regard her that she picked up her fork to make it seem like she was still eating. "Don't spend too much time eating, master. When you're ready to take a shower I'll meet you in the bathroom to assist you." With that he stood up and made his exit through the door.

Evangeline's thoughts were more on...well, "What the hell has gotten into him?" This was clearly abnormal behavior for him. Try as she might to convince herself that this was a possible change, it was far too dramatic for it to just occur overnight. Maybe he was possessed? How could she be sure, and if that was the case, for what? It clearly wasn't to kill her since he had so many opportunities with the amount of time that she had her back to him. Hmm, she was going to have to stop doing that. She had not realized it until now, but she really did let her guard down around Negi. If any of her enemies ever wanted to get to her their best bets would have been placed on somehow taking control of the young magister to carry out the job for them. Then again, Evangeline questioned whether she was even susceptible to silver anymore. She would have to somehow look into that later when she had the chance.

_On the other hand, should I really put a stop to this? _Evangeline blinked a few times. Of course, in the end it all came down to one answer.

_Hell no. I'm going to let him keep on pushing this until he cracks. If he wants to do the teasing for once, he is more than welcome. _The dark mistress thought with a fanged grin as she regained her appetite with a stronger hint of hunger than before. This may have been just the sort of thing she needed to work off her boredom. _Besides, why put a stop to such a good thing? I'm liking this..._

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_...He's done this plenty of times before...so why now? _Was all the little vampire could think to herself as Negi ran the sponge up and down her back with a smooth motion that had her arching her back rather sensuously. She could only be thankful that he decided to come to the bathroom in his normal form. If he had come to join her in his usual disguise, she would probably be having a much harder time. On the other hand this actually may have been a little risky after all. She found herself debating whether she should force him onto his back and act on the sinister temptations that were flying through her mind. Even without her powers it would be hard for him to resist her easily. That aside, Negi had either become a damn good natural with all of the time she'd forced him to massage her, or he just knew exactly what he was doing to her. He was rubbing and pressing all the right spots with the proper pressure and firmness. She could swear that she was on the verge of popping out...of somewhere...that was still something she was trying to figure out.

"Lean over a bit, master." For some reason this was all such a fresh experience for Evangeline. Never before had the young man called her by her title with such a sexy tone of voice. It didn't sound so innocent. She could almost feel a smirk on his lips with the way he addressed her even though a quick glance over her shoulder told her that this was not so. His expression was more on concentration than anything else. Doing as he requested of her, she felt the sponge glide down her back, coming to a stop just above her bare bottom. Why hadn't she realized this before? Had Negi been staring at her butt every time she had him do this sort of thing for her? It had never become as apparent to her as it had now that the boy may have been drooling over her behind her back. Well, technically he was already at that age...dammit, now she was feeling a little self conscious.

_Ok. Ok. This is stupid. _The chibi-vampire shook her head roughly to rid herself of such embarrassing thoughts. _I've never cared before. This isn't anything compared to the things I've forced him to do before. I've stood stark naked_ _before him without so much as feeling a thing. Jeez, grow up girl! You are not going to let some young darkling get the best of you. He hasn't even drunk directly from the vein yet! He's a virgin in every sense of the word! _

"You can sit up straight now." She heard Negi tell her.

"Hm?" Evangeline realized that she was practically jabbing his stomach with her bare ass. It appeared that in her attempt to remind herself that she was the one in control of the situation, she had subconsciously been trying to prove what a tough person she was to him by hitting him through any means necessary, and since her hands and legs were a little preoccupied- Well, thank the high deities above that the kid had on swimming trunks. She was going to have to play that off somehow, "Right, whatever." She sat up straight again before her ears picked up the pop of a shampoo bottle tab. He was going to wash her hair next! The very thought had her giddy with anticipation, though with the stoic look that graced her lovely features at the moment one would find it hard to notice. Feeling his hands run through her hair, and the tingling sensation in her scalp after he massaged it sent a rush through her that could probably only be rivaled by a spur of the moment, headlong rush into wild, unrestricted, hip slapping-

**_SCREEEeeeech!_** Just in case you were wondering, that was the sound of Evangeline's mind coming to an emergency stop. Any further and she was sure to venture into territory that would have been deemed far too unhealthy for her target's future prospects as a male. He would likely lose the feeling in his legs for weeks after she was done entertaining her fantasies.

"That's it..." Evangeline thought out loud as Negi's fingers worked through her hair in a fashion fit for goddess worship. He resembled a harp player, running his fingers along strings to give life to wonderful melodies out of a fairy tale. The vampiress looked down at her lap to find her legs trembling. She was almost reaching the point of no return. If he kept this up, she wouldn't be responsible for her own actions. _Dammit...he better be doing this on purpose because if he isn't even trying-_ Evangeline looked over her shoulder to gaze at him with a lovely dash of pink blossomed upon her face.

"Something the matter, Eva-chan?" Negi asked with a bit of worry, and genuine I might add, which really pissed Evangeline off because that could only mean that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing to her. Geez, why the hell did he have to be so inhumanely dense when it came to these matters? Even that mutt understood the chemistry that went on between the opposite sexes, so why did her disciple have to be so ridiculously clueless? Why put her through this torture?

Evangeline gripped her right arm with her left hand as she finally came to a decision. Holding herself back this long couldn't be healthy for her mind or body. It would only be a matter of time before she just acted out of impulse. Besides, they were going to be together for all eternity _(She wasn't giving him a choice) _so this was bound to happen sooner or later, right? It was time to make a man out of him. _"Hey boya," _Evangeline started off the sexiest voice she could manage in her cursed form, which coming out of a computer speaker, would not have been considered work safe, _"I thibllrblblbrllbrb..." _The dark girl could only blink furiously after the load of water passed through her. Apparently Negi had gotten done washing her hair, and it couldn't have happened at a worse time either. That seriously messed with her momentum. Nonetheless-

_...I'm not one for talk anyway! _With that in mind, Evangeline stood up from her stool and whipped around quickly to face Negi. She inwardly expected him to jump back in fright and start to blubber out questions of just what she was trying to pull, however, he met her with a calm expression. "Did I hurt you?" He asked, his eyebrows drooping somewhat.

_"Hurt me?" _Evangeline echoed him with a giggle. "No, not at all, though it's rather sweet of you to ask." She kicked the stool to the side with such force that it exploded into little bits upon contact with the wall of the shower chamber. Negi looked to the splinters of plastic on the floor before looking back at her. Evangeline expected him to run away, but he stood rooted to the floor. That didn't last too long, though, since she walked over to him and pinned him against the wall. He naturally winced at how roughly she pushed him, but there was no fear in his eyes as she stared into them and it was beginning to turn her on in ways that she only believed his father was capable of.

"Such brave eyes, boya. Aren't you scared at all?" Evangeline slipped a hand against his neck as she brought her face closer to his. "Or could it be that you were expecting this to happen all along?"

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise." Negi answered her boldly.

"Oh, is that so?" Evangeline's gaze softened as she turned his head to the side slightly so that she could press her cheek against his. "And what would posses you to try something so dangerous? Do you have some kind of death wish?"

"I suppose love is that dangerous sometimes."

"As if you would know..." Evangeline responded, taking a moment to bury her nose in the warmth of his neck with a light sniff. She tensed when she felt one of his hands on top of her head and raised it to meet his eyes. "So what are you telling me?"

Negi pecked her on the forehead. "Is it really that hard to figure out?"

Evangeline pressed harder against him. "No riddles, Negi. If you want me to acknowledge it, then tell me what you're feeling. Otherwise, don't waste my time or you'll get burned." She felt his other hand grip her waist and he embraced her in an almost possessive fashion. Evangeline would have to admit that she found this side of the young magister quite enjoyable. She would not have minded if he was this bold all the time.

"Why ask for words when I can tell you through my actions?" Their lips brushed against each other lightly.

"If you're too spineless to say it, what could I possibly expect from you beyond that?"

"Very well." Negi fixed her with a passionate fire that would have possibly consumed her had she not been so held strong on hearing the words she'd been aching to hear for most of her life. "Evangeline McDowell..."

_Evangeline swallowed hard._

"I..." Negi held her closer.

_She would not blink._

"...Love..."

_Her nails nearly dug into his shoulder from anticipation._

_**"Mistress?" **_

_The fuck? _Evangeline let go of the breath she was holding when Chachamaru's voice escaped from his lips. She pushed away from him, bringing a look of hurt upon his face before she held a hand out and summoned her blade with intents on cutting him down._ "DAMMIT!" _She plunged her sword through the floor tiles and gripped the side of her head with her free hand. _"It was just too good for me, right?" _She regarded her dark prince furiously. _"You were just too...good to be true."_

"Wake up, mistress." Chachamaru called to her master as she placed a hand on her shoulder to wake her. The chibi-mistress was gripping the pillow in her sleep, mumbling to herself, so the gynoid naturally thought she was having another one of her nightmares. Unfortunately, she might have been responsible for that in the first place.

"Hm?" Evangeline stirred in her sleep and the gynoid pulled her hand back. The vampiress rolled over on to her back slowly, and sat up straight after staring at the ceiling in complete silence for a little longer than Chachamaru was comfortable with. She wasn't sure what might have happened as her mistress was asleep, but it might have been serious for her not to demand a fresh pot of tea after waking up. She put her hunches aside when her mistress spoke to her. "What time is it anyway?" Evangeline touched the back of her head in a peculiar manner as though something might have been missing.

"Eleven: nineteen." Chachamaru answered her.

"And what day is it?"

"The twelfth of February." The gynoid answered her again. "Might you have something in mind, mistress? It's not like you to ask the date." Evangeline stopped caring for the track of days so long ago. What did she have to keep record of them for? There were no important events to look out for like birthdays, or particular occasions. Days were just days to the mistress, another page in a twisted book that just wouldn't end no matter how many times you flipped through it.

"No. Forget about it." Evangeline answered her. "Ready a fresh pot of tea, would ya?"

"As you wish, mistress." Chachamaru replied with a respective bow before taking her leave. When she was gone Evangeline fell onto her back again to fix her eyes upon the ceiling. It would be a while before she'd close her eyes again. What a shame; she would have liked to keep them that way for a little while longer.

_**...Still-sleep could never grant her everything she ever wanted...**_

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_**

**_[ Departing from that scene... ]  
_**

**-T.G 1/2**: Good Afternoon, master. We haven't spoken in a while.

**-****Zero's-MaN: **Takane, how many times am I going to have 2 tell u not to call me that?

**-T.G 1/2**: Lol. It just fits with u so naturally. You did bite me, after all. By the way, wat is up wit ur screen name?

**-Zero's-MaN: **I lost a bet with Zero-chan, so... (You can't type things like that so casually, you know?)

**-T.G 1/2: **Figures. I still don't see how you tolerate that demonic, antique doll.

**-Zero's-MaN: **She's with me right now.

**-T.G 1/2: **As if that information would affect my opinion of her...

"Screw you, too." Chachazero told the computer screen nonchalantly from the top of Negi' head. "Like I'd care about the opinion of some blonde psycho." This of course would be ironic coming from her mouth, but Zero-chan's standards of crazy was levels above the scale we would classify it by.

-**Zero's-MaN:** So how is Mei doing?

-**T.G 1/2:** She's doing pretty well as usual. She's a little miffed with Gandolfini for keeping us on duty for the Christmas season.

-**Zero's-MaN: **I was wondering why you two didn't show up. That's too bad.

-**T.G 1/2:**Oh, did I worry you? (0.~)

-**Zero's-MaN: **I just thought it was a little unusual.

-**T.G 1/2:** It pains me to say it, but I won't be able to make it this Saturday either.

-**Zero's-MaN:** ...What happens this Saturday?

-**T.G 1/2: **Honestly? It's going to be Valentine's Day.

-**Zero's-MaN:** Valentine's Day? Wow, almost forgot!

-**T.G 1/2:**Did you now? So are you going to make plans?

-**Zero's-MaN: **...No.

-**T.G 1/2:**Wise answer, master, but its obvious that your students will force you to participate somehow. I'd hope that you wouldn't allow them to take advantage of you too much.

-**Zero's-MaN: **Give me more credit.

-**T.G 1/2:** I think I give you too much.

Negi blinked at her reply a few times. "That wasn't very nice."

"Well," Chachazero perked up once her master finally spoke out loud. "I suppose that is something I can agree with her on."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Negi quirked a brow inquisitively.

"Your students are practically the center of your life. You'll do whatever they say as long as they give you those pleading eyes."

Negi scowled, "That's not true at a-"

"Hey!" Asuna's voice suddenly rang from behind the young magi, having him jump in his seat. When the young man swiveled around to face her on the computer chair, she crossed her arms in an authoritative manner. She wanted to check something on the computer, but he'd been hogging it for about an hour and an half already chatting with people. If her guesses were right he was either talking to Ako, or Chachamaru. In the worst case it could have been that Goodman chick. Hm...just to make sure...

_It IS her. _Asuna rolled her eyes briefly after glancing at the user names on the screen. What the hell did that girl's screen name even mean? And Negi's screen name...well, Chachazero must have gotten him to do that somehow. Anyway-

"How long are you going to be hogging _our_ internet service?" The red-head tapped her fingers along her bicep as she did the same to the floor with her right foot. It was a clear sign of her telling him to get off or she was going to resort to hovering over him until he surrendered the keyboard over.

"Um, give me a sec." Negi typed his farewell to his underling before exiting from the messenger just as the blonde magistress was about to protest. She would be pretty heated when she saw the notice on her laptop in the U.S that her master had pretty much blown her off. All work and no play made Takane Goodman a very dull girl...well maybe, not really. Negi inwardly cringed at what might have been going through her mind at that moment.

_She'll probably tell me when we talk again anyway. _He inwardly sighed, standing up from the computer chair. Asuna offered him an appreciative grin and told him _"Thanks"_ before she took over, double clicking the internet browser icon. "Now, let's see..." She mused softly.

"So what're you looking for?" Negi asked, resting his chin on her head to get a view of the computer screen.

"None of your business." Asuna answered him, forcing him off of her head. They both heard some light steps enter the room and looked over their shoulders to see Konoka approaching them with her usual care free aura emanating from her youthful body like ultra violet rays from the sun. If there were flowers in the room, they would have all blossomed beautifully in her presence. Disney would have a field day.

"Negi-kuuuun." The bubbly girl sang his name before she latched on to him from behind, nuzzling the side of his cheek. "Asuna forced you off, huh? Figures..."

"Why?" Negi asked, unable to see how Asuna started to flail her arms nervously as he gave his attention to Konoka.

"Isn't it obvious?" Konoka grinned like a scheming little girl.

_"DON'T SAY A WOR-"_

"To look for a present for-"

_"AAAAAAARGH!"_

"-Takamichi-sensei, of course!" Konoka answered Negi over Asuna's attempts to drown out her words.

Negi seemed to be lost in deep thought for a while before he pounded a fist over an open hand. "Oh, that's right! For Valentine's day, right?" He asked Asuna the obvious with an innocent smile. The red-head's skin gradually started to blend in with her hair as she bowed her head slightly.

"Oh, duh, captain obvious." Asuna replied with a scowl. "I'd ask no one else to be my valentine."

"Makes sense." Negi and Konoka both nodded with her words.

"So, um, who are you going to ask to be your valentine, Konoka?" Negi asked, placing his hands on the delicate arms hanging around his neck.

_The Konosetsu shippers glare at the author expectantly._

"I don't know..." Konoka answered him, unsure of herself. After thinking it over for a moment, she smiled at him. "I guess I'll just have to take you, then!"

_They sharpen their knives._

Konoka's smile grew when another person came to mind, "Or Se-chan! Maybe I'll just take you both for myself!"

_They heave a sigh of relief._

"Don't be greedy, Konoka." Asuna told her sarcastically as she scrolled down the web page she was on with the mouse. She found something she was interested in and clicked on the item that caught her eye. "You know Makie, Ku-Fei, and Ayaka are probably planning on taking him for themselves anyway." She inwardly added, _Just like the last valentine's day. _She rolled her eyes. _And the one before that. Brrr...I don't wanna know what sort of tactic that perverted class president will resort to this time._

"No fair." Konoka pouted. "They'll just have to share him, then."

"I'm sure they would." Again, sarcasm. Asuna stopped her search and swiveled around in her chair when a thought came to mind. "Actually, whatcha going to do about Evangeline?"

"Master?" Negi was caught off guard by his friend's comment. "W-Well..." He reached back to scratch the back of his head, mistakenly scratching Konoka's instead, which she made no attempt to complain about. How did he know she had an itch there? "...what _CAN_ I do about her? I don't think she's really into that sort of thing. I tried getting her to participate with us for the Christmas party that we had planned, and she pretty much shot me down even after I gave her a full body massage."

_Asuna narrowed her eyes at him._

Negi picked up quickly. "_Not_ as bad as it sounds." He looked to the side, scratching the tip of his nose with one finger, sheepishly. "Besides...she'll probably just brush me off when I tell her about it anyway. It's no use, really."

"You're so dull, Negs." Konoka suddenly told him, pinching him on the chest painfully. "Get her a gift!"

"A gift?" Negi blurted out.

"Yes, you frickin' parrot!" Asuna even agreed with the healer. _Even she deserves one on Valentine's say...idiot..._

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**_

_**[ To the Tatsumiya Shrine! ]**_

Mana Tatsumiya's eyes swiveled between checking the seconds on her stop watch and monitoring Negi as he went through the process of reassembling a caliber .45 pistol. He had just slipped the slide stop in place before she suddenly drew out her own pistol and let off a shot into the sky. Negi flinched at the unexpected action and turned his head to regard the lovely marksman with an expression that spoke of a possible few years being shaved off his immortal life. God, he could never get used to that.

"Congratulations." Mana told him without so much as a smirk gracing her lips. "You've been assigned your final mission." With that said, she slipped her gun back in its holster before crossing her arms. "You have to be much more precise than that, Negi. You're guaranteed to get killed before you even fire your first shot with that speed."

_What are the chances of me needing one of these anyway? I'm already well off with my spells. _Negi took a moment to think that over again. _Then again, you just utilize guns and still manage to make everyone else shake in their boots. Urgh, I'm never going to figure you out._

Negi sweat dropped. "T-Take it apart, then?"

"Yes." Mana replied with a nod. "We'll start all over again."

"Fine." The young magi nodded, going through the process in reverse much to his chagrin. He looked up from the pistol she supplied him with to regard her sheepishly, asking, "But, uh, could you stop shooting whenever I miss the mark? It's a little unnerving."

"You'll get used to it, eventually." Mana told him with a killer smirk. She looked down, raising her right wrist to check the time and sighed with a hint of disappointment. "Forget about it. I think that's enough for today."

_"Thank you..."_ Negi said to no in particular.

"That doesn't necessarily mean you're done." Mana stole away the relief that washed over the young man. "You'll clean it before you leave." The way she told him implied that this was something he couldn't weasel out of. He was going to have to do as she said, or something might happen. Now, he wasn't exactly sure what that could have been, however, considering who it was giving the implications it wasn't worth risking one's neck.

She fixed him with her piercing eyes for a moment as if to pass along a silent message to him before adjusting the collar of her shrine outfit and entering the shrine house, closing the door behind her. She was likely going to change into some casual clothes. That meant it was finally time for him to relax.

Negi looked down at the disassembled parts on the porch deck, and sighed before swiveling his eyes to the cleaning kit beside him.

_Might as well get this out of the way..._

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"Calm." Mana mumbled, looking up at the darkening sky above as she lay on the wooden boards of the shrine porch with her hands folded behind her head. Negi did the same, though his head was lying on top of her flat stomach, rising up and down with her breathing. This wasn't as unusual to the two as many might believe. This contact was just to prove that they were comfortable with each other despite their dramatic differences. It was the close bond of a professional shooter and a heroic vampire. Of course, the other girls would see it much differently, like...um...betrayal.

"What about it?" Negi asked, one eye closed.

"I haven't been assigned anything in a while." Mana replied. "Its been that way for two months now."

"That bothers you?"

"I don't want to lose my edge." Mana explained, placing a hand on top of his head casually. "Peace will do that to a mercenary."

"I'd take peace over keeping an '_edge'_ any day." Negi quoted with his fingers, a bored expression gracing his features as he did.

Mana's eyes swiveled in the direction of his head, though it was hard to see him due to their position. "Peace, Springfield?" Her use of his last name sent shivers through his skin. He didn't quite remember the last time she addressed him that way. In fact, he didn't think she ever did. "You can try your hand at embracing _'peace' _all you want, however, you should know that it just doesn't suit you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Negi asked, disturbed by her words. _I'm not suited for peace? I don't get it..._

"There are those in this world who talk, and then there are those who act. For all of your speeches and willingness to talk things through, your inevitable place is to act. It's an inescapable part of your life, and fighting this logic will only lead to your untimely end." Her words left her lips cryptically as one of her fingers stroked the young magi's forehead. "You'd better take those words to heart, sensei."

"...Um, sure." Negi nodded hesitantly. _And here I wanted to talk about a lighter subject. It's kind of hard to do that around you..._

Mana smirked when a pregnant silence followed. "Did I bother you?"

"Well, sort of." Negi admitted. "It kind of threw me off from what I originally wanted to speak with you about."

"What's that?"

"Valentine's day is in two days." Negi told her.

_Silence..._

"Is that so?" Mana mused, her eyes darting in his direction again. "Why bring it up?"

"I'm having a bit of trouble." Negi said with a bit of hesitation before he felt Mana pull her hand away from its perch on his forehead.

"Trouble with women again, sensei?" Mana let out a smooth chuckle. "I remember telling you once not to worry yourself with girls so much. It's just bound to stress you out."

"I know, but...I'd feel guilty if I didn't do something." Negi replied, closing his eyes in frustration. "I mean...what should I give someone on valentine's day to begin with? A _close_ someone that is..."

"If you feel that you're close to that _someone_, would it really matter what you gave them?" Mana answered his question with one of her own in a rare instance of casual advice giving. The lovely woman was usually one to dodge these sort of questions. Either that or she would just speak in another riddle. "As long as its something you honestly felt would please them it should work."

"Heh, heh." Negi chuckled.

"What?" Mana asked, seemingly unfazed by his reaction to her words.

"That was nice, Mana."

"You mean, it made sense." Mana corrected him as she placed her hand back on his forehead. "Why make life so complicated when the answers are so simple? People who understand that live easier."

"Mmm." Negi hummed pleasantly before a question came to mind. "So Mana..." He trailed off.

"What?"

"Are you making plans for that day?"

"That sort of thing just doesn't interest me. It's too troublesome." Mana answered him, eyes to the sky again as the dying light from the setting sun finally got swallowed up in the twilight. _(No, no, no. That was not a reference to the book...seriously.)_

* * *

**_[ The Next Day, at Satsuki's... ]  
_**

Kotaro watched Negi with mild interest as the young magi sitting beside him at the bar opened his mouth to allow his Chachazero to pop in another delicious serving of the omelet he ordered. The way Chachamaru openly spied at the two as she made her rounds at the outdoor tables that the other customers were sitting at made the dog demon wonder if she was plotting some kind of fatal accident for her smaller counterpart. Of course, that was assuming that the gynoid was too afraid to simply commit the act out in the open.

"Do you enjoy that?" Kotaro finally voiced his disturbances to his friend. "Being fed by a serial killer, that is."

Negi swallowed the food in his mouth and simply grinned at his friend. "Come on. Are you still uncomfortable with Zero-chan?"

"I personally think he gets off on insulting me, master Negi." Chachazero told her master _innocently_. "Sicko."

"You dysfunctional-grrr!" Kotaro threw his hands up in frustration when he couldn't come up with a witty come back. "M-Maybe if you didn't keep threatening to kill me, I'd think of you differently!"

"Calm down, Kotaro." Negi motioned for him to lay down his hands. "Can't we just have a friendly breakfast?"

"Yeah." Chachazero followed up, much to her master's dismay. "Quit yappin' or I'll kick ya." Of course, she said this while cocking an invisible shotgun out of Negi's line of sight. Kotaro was just about to talk back, but a looming shadow got both young men to break away from their conversation and check to see who might have been providing the shade. Who else but the library trio..er...two of the three anyway.

"What do you two want?" Kotaro asked a little rudely for Nodoka and Yue's tastes. "We're eating here."

"Nothing from you." Yue naturally shot back while Nodoka kind of just brought a hand up to her mouth in her usual defensive mechanism. Admittedly, the dog demon actually wanted to take back his words when he saw the lavender haired girl do that. It caught him off guard to the point that he didn't respond to the short librarian's words to him.

"Good morning, Negi-chan." Yue greeted her favorite person in the world, soon to be her favorite boyfriend and so on if she managed to successfully make him her property. She once tried to get him drunk enough so that she could tattoo her name on his arm, but the vampire appeared to be impervious to alcohol somehow. That story, however, held no relevance to the topic of this particular chapter...or did it?

"Hey, you two." Negi greeted both of them. "Came here to eat?" He asked, sitting a little straighter in his seat. He had to set a good example for his students, after all.

"N-Not really." Nodoka answered him, holding her hands behind her back. "Just wanted to see you."

"Actually, that omelet does smell good." Yue remarked, purposely leaning over her teacher. The usual stoic expression on her face kept the young man from suspecting any foul play though. She methodically switched her attention from his breakfast to his face and casually asked, "Can I try a bite?"

"Go ahead." Negi nodded.

"Thank you." Yue told him gratefully, managing to reach his fork before Chachazero could intercept the grab. Now, Nodoka may have been a little dense when it came to these sort of situations, but she was able to pick up immediately on why her friend wanted a bite of that omelet, and that could only come down to the fact that seconds ago, that fork was in their teacher's mouth.

_W-W-what is that? _Nodoka panicked as Yue brought a bite of the omelet to her mouth ever so slowly as if to savor the guilty pleasure she was about to partake in. _Is that like an indirect, deep kiss? _The timid librarian's eyes narrowed slightly. _I can't let it reach its destination! _And with that in mind, she 'mistakenly' pushed her friend with her hip, causing the fork to click against her bottom, front teeth painfully.

"Unmm..." Yue moaned in pain.

"A-Are you okay?" Negi placed a hand under the girl's chin worriedly, bringing a tint of pink to her cheeks. In other words, Nodoka's intervention ultimately back fired on her. Oh, how unfair the world could be sometimes, _but_ at least some people manage to benefit from it...and now you think I'm a bad person.

"I'm...fine." Yue told him after he checked for any bleeding, and no, his reason was not to look for a quick snack. The short librarian stole a glance at her 'friend' for a moment before turning her attention back to their teacher again. "We actually came here to ask for you to accompany us to the class."

"Homeroom doesn't start for another half hour." Negi said, checking his watch.

"It's for a special meeting. That's all." Nodoka explained.

"A meeting for what?"

"A small attraction for Valentine's day." Yue answered. "All of the classes are doing something to raise some money that day."

"I see." Negi nodded. He leaned over to the side to look at Kotaro and asked, "You wanna come?"

"Me?" The dog demon asked, seemingly more interested in his food. "Nah. I got better things to do."

"Alright."

_**[ And that is why Chizuru worries about you, Kotaro...**_**_ ]  
_**

Ayaka tapped her thin stack of papers on the surface of her desk to straighten them out before pushing back on her seat to stand up and walk to the front of the class to get the attention of the rest of the girls that were present. Evangeline decided not to be present for the class meeting, which was expected from the get go. She had expressed her unwillingness to participate in their class activities numerous times before, so it would have been a waste of time to bother her. Ako wasn't present either. Most likely she was either too busy trying to get ready for her beloved Nagi on Valentine's day, or possibly sitting in front of her computer in wait of a reply to the e-mail invitation she sent him. Asuna was...well...we never do really pay attention to what she does most of the time, do we?

"Alright! Settle down!" Ayaka cried out over the morning gossip that the girls were passing back and forth. When she was sure that she had their undivided attention her eyes scrolled the list that she asked for all of them to write before clearing her throat loudly. "As you all know, Valentine's day is this Saturday-" She was interrupted by a collective response of cheers and forced whoops before she could continue. "-so the student council decided that all of the classes would hold some sort of fundraiser for the trip at the end of the year. That being said, we have a few ideas jotted down."

"I hope we're not doing a cafe." Natsumi whined audibly. "We always do that..."

"It wouldn't be a normal series without one." Misora said off offhandedly, resting her cheek in one hand.

"What are you talking about?" Madoka asked the nun curiously.

Misora blinked. "Oh, um, just thinking out loud."

"Well, don't make a habit of it!" Misa joked with a grin...did they get it?

_No reaction..._

_I give them gold, and I get nothin'. _The rock star inwardly grumbled, shrinking in her seat.

"Right then..." Ayaka clicked her pen. "So is that a _"NO"_ on the cafe, everyone?"

"I'm all for the cafe!" Haruna stood up quickly, outraged that no one else would accept it. She stared at Chisame expectantly to find the net idol looking away from her. "Chisame! CHISAME! Don't leave me hanging like this, girl!"

Akira heaved a sigh of relief when there was no one else to back up the cafe plan. _For a moment I feared they would dress me up as a maid again..._

"A _"NO"_, then." Ayaka crossed it out. "Next, we have the noodle shop idea."

"Oh!" Sayo clasped her hands together. "Like_ 'Love Noodles'_?"

"I think that's what everyone was going for, Sayo." Kazumi told her ghastly partner with a grin. Her friend's innocence was just too irresistible sometimes.

"Satsuki and Chachamaru can handle that..." Makie suggested, tapping her chin with one finger thoughtfully.

"I will try, too." Ku-Fei volunteered with one hand raised. "I have exper-AH-some experience." She corrected herself.

Chizuru snapped out of her daze, smiling for no apparent reason. "But will it be enough to handle so many orders?"

"Well, if it proves to be a problem, Negi-chan cooks wonderfully." Kaede suggested with her usual grin. "I know from personal experience." That managed to get Setsuna's attention. The swordsman blinked, cocking her head to the side.

"Personal experience?" Setsuna questioned, somewhat disturbed by this revelation. "And when has Negi-kun cooked for _you_? You've never mentioned this to me or Ku-Fei before."

Kaede widened one eye with a teasing smile. "I never did, did I?" Her words came out mockingly as she folded her hands behind her head. "I'm just not one to kiss and tell."

Ayaka appeared to be on the verge of snapping her pen in half with this new found information, and if it wasn't for the fact that the door to the classroom opened to reveal Negi Springfield and his two librarian companions, she probably would have somehow succeeded. The young vampire entered the room and made his way to his desk, followed by every pair of eyes in the classroom with the class president holding the title for _'most intense gaze'._ Perhaps _gaze rape_ would have been more like it.

"Um..." Negi found himself sweating under the accusing looks that were directed at him. Not even twelve seconds in the room and he already felt like he was at the scene of a crime. His best bet was to clear the atmosphere before he got crushed by the pressure. "Good morning everyone?"

_**"...Good morning..."**_ Their response somehow lacked the cheer that it was usually filled with when they all greeted him in unison.

"So," He clasped both of "his hands together quickly, rocking back and forth out of building fear. "I heard from Yue and Nodoka that we were having a meeting here?"

_**"...Yes."**_

"Cool...cool." Negi repeated himself, clearing his throat after the first time. "So what have we got, as far as ideas go?"

Ayaka was the first to attack, "Why haven't you ever cooked for me?"

Negi blinked, caught off guard by her unexpected response to his question. A slightly dazed look washed over his handsome features making him look quite comical. "Uh...I-I don't understand. Where did that come from?

"We happened to be discussing plans for holding a noodle shop attraction for Valentine's day, and your cooking abilities happened to get leaked." Kazumi explained to him with a mischievous grin. "I think you have some explaining to do, Negi-sensei."

"Haah?" Negi looked completely clueless. This naturally worked on Setsuna's nerves.

"Have you, or have you not cooked for Kaede?" Setsuna decided to go for a direct approach.

_"I told you that this would bite you in the ass someday."_ Chachazero whispered in her master's ear.

Negi sweat dropped, forcing his best convincing grin. "Ooooh." The young man went for the oldest escape route in the book: The_, 'C'mon! You mean that little thing?',_ escape tactic. "You meant _THAT_!" He brought a hand to his forehead and forced a laid back chuckle before clearing his throat. "Yeah...I cooked for her."

Setsuna's mouth remained open as she kept an accusing finger pointed at him. Had she kept it up any longer she would have resembled one of those mannequins that were seen posing behind the display window of the school uniform store. "...And me?" She finally asked.

Negi swallowed hard. "You, erm...never asked." _And the best part about it is that I'm not lying to her!_

"I don't recall asking you to cook for me, sensei." Mana suddenly decided to join the conversation.

_The entire class regarded him suspiciously._

"Tatsumiya-san..." Ayaka called the attention of the lovely marksman, who was her opposite in almost every way with the exception of being an equally attractive woman, if not more. That case could have an argument, but it certainly wouldn't be explored here. "Are you implying that he has cooked for you in the past?"

"He isn't exceptionally skilled, but it was appreciated nonetheless."

_Is Mana trying to get me killed?_ Negi nearly jumped back when she replied. _I didn't think she would answer that at all! Did I get her angry somehow? _The young magi quickly searched the back row to check for his master's expression. If she was bothering to listen to the conversation at all, she would probably demand to know why he never offered to cook for her. She was his mistress after all, and it was his sworn duty to cater to her in every way she so desired. Luckily for him she was nowhere to be found...of course, that naturally brought up another concern to mind, like-

_"Why is Eva-chan absent to begin with?"

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**_[ Onwards, to Evangeline's Residence! ]_**

Negi stepped into the house when Chachamaru motioned for him to enter. Perhaps it was the fact that Evangeline and him were bonded on a level so deep that their emotions tended to meld with one, but he could swear that he felt a sudden weight fill his chest, more in an emotional sense than physical. Not only that, but he could swear that it was getting a little darker in the room as he got closer to the couch that faced the coffee table. Hmm...what was this taste in his mouth? He didn't remember drinking any blood earlier...

"Hey...um, Chachamaru?" Negi called to the gynoid curiously.

"Yes, Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked, reaching behind her head to loosen the black lace that she used to hold her hair in a pony tail. The way she shook her head from side to side to loosen her artificial locks was something out of a love scene. "What is troubling you?" _Besides that offending lump of blood lust sitting on your head?_

"I'm not exactly sure." Negi rolled his tongue around his mouth a few times before smacking his lips to taste more blood that he was sure he had not consumed before. "Something weird is going on. So, Evangeline is here, right?"

"That is correct." Chachamaru nodded. "In her room."

"Oh." Negi glanced at the stairway before facing Chachamaru again. "Do you think she'll mind if I go visit her?"

"I'm not sure." Chachamaru replied, causing the young man to quirk a brow. Whenever he asked her a question she would at least usually have a 'Yes' or 'No' answer. The way she answered him now was so weird. If he listened carefully he would have been able to pick up a hint of defiance in her voice. The type of hint that said, _'Why her and not me?', _or, _'I'm standing here, so why are you going over there?',_ or possibly, _'I loved you first, idiot.'_

...They varried_..._

"I guess there's no way to find out unless I go up." The young man said bravely before lifting Chachazero off of her perch on his head and setting her down on the coffee table. The puppet held on to his right hand in an attempt to keep him from leaving her behind, but he managed to snatch away from her grip rather quickly. "Just wait here, Zero-chan. I'll be right back."

"Why does she get a private visit?" Chachazero protested. "What do you have to hide from me?"

"Nothing." Negi assured her with a grin as he proceeded to the stairs. He stopped when he placed his foot on the first step and went on, "I just don't want you to get her mad. Kami knows, she might already be."

"Whatever." The sadistic puppet crossed her arms, and turned her head to the side to give him the message that their conversation was over. "Just get going before I change my mind and come after you."

"Um, thanks." Negi told her as he ascended the steps, but before he made it to the top he could swear that he felt an icy sensation grip his legs in the most bone chilling way. He looked down to find an expression on Chachamaru's face that nearly gave him a coronary. Her eyes were narrowed, and he could swear that was a frown on her face. It was the kind of expression that a man saw just before the person holding the gun pulled the trigger. "Ch-Ch-Chacha-chan? Are you alright?"

"...Fine." Chachamaru answered him darkly, crossing her arms. At her response Negi made himself as scarce to her view as possible. Having a staring contest with her to find out the truth about her mood seemed like the most unwise choice to make at that moment. Still...she was getting rather expressive lately...in a negative way.

**_-{Entering the lair of 'Her Deep Darkness' }-_**

Negi walked through the hallway leading to Evangeline's room uneasily. The dark pulse that pumped from behind her door was a tad bit more noticeable than usual, and it was giving the young magi the creeps. On another note, he knew that she was a vampire and all, and that darkness was obviously the last factor that would possibly cause her a major inconvenience, but when the hell was she going to install lights in this hallway? Sure, she wasn't the type to expect guests to her room in the first place, but for the sake of presentation, come on.

_Ugh. What an after taste... _Negi brought a hand to his throat when he felt an odd build up of stickiness. To make matters worse the taste of blood that had been plaguing him since he entered the house earlier was so strong that he just couldn't ignore it anymore, as was the weight in his chest. He reached for the door knob to open Evangeline's door and as soon as his hand made contact time seemed to go still. The air went stagnant, and the light breeze that was flowing through the hall pulled away. The muscles in his legs and arms went completely rigid to the point of paralysis, and his breathing came to a stand still, all for about six seconds, at which point everything returned to normal...if you called that dark pulse emanating from the room normal in the first place...

"Ahem." The young magi cleared his throat before turning the knob. He opened the door slowly, poking his head in as he did, to find Evangeline McDowell laying in bed with her eyes directed to the ceiling. "Um...master?" Negi called to her nervously, taking note of how much harder it was to walk now that he made it to his destination. When Evangeline made no indication of ever hearing his call, he made a louder attempt. "Eva-chan?"

"Uugh." Evangeline finally sat up, holding her head with one hand as she blinked a few times. She did a cursory of her room, passing him twice with her eyes before she perked up and directed her attention to him as though he just appeared before her very eyes at that instant. "Who the-" She narrowed her eyes. "Oh...it's you."

"Um...yeah." Negi nodded, a little hurt by the way she received him. "You were absent for class so I figured that I come see you."

Evangeline smirked at him cynically. "My, aren't you the responsible teacher?"

"I'm serious about this, master." Negi approached her bed expecting to be halted by her, but she said nothing. She merely kept her eyes trained on him until he came to a stop at her bed side. "Why didn't you come to class today?"

Evangeline glared at him childishly. "I didn't want to."

Negi blinked in silence. "Er, what for?"

"No particular reason." The chibi-vampire replied, wiggling her toes under the covers.

"You've got to have a reason, Eva-chan." The young teacher sighed, resting a hand on his knee while the other ran through his red mane. "This isn't like yo...erm, well, at least it hasn't been like you for the past few months. Are you sick?" He reached out a hand and placed it on her forehead. Evangeline's eyes never left his hand until he drew it back and stroked his chin. "Well, it doesn't seem too bad, unless this is something new."

"I'm not sick, stupid." She told him as she crossed her arms.

"Then what's bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me."

"Then why didn't you come to class?"

"I just didn't want to."

_Silence..._

"...Riiiight. Something is bothering you."

"There is _NOTHING _bothering me!" Evangeline shook her tiny fists angrily.

"Then why does it feel like it?" Negi asked her, placing a hand against his own heart. He closed his eyes and frowned, "This weight within your heart...is must be from something."

Evangeline blushed, clutching her chest. "How the hell did you-" Her eyes widened with horror. "You're reading me?"

"Well...not exactly." Negi told her with a thoughtful expression. "I just feel you, that's all. I can tell you've been on a drinking binge too."

The vampiress, hearing his accurate assessment, slumped over. "...Great..."

"So-"

"There's nothing wrong with me, boya!" Evangeline cut him off quickly as she pounded one hand against her chest. "And even if there was, why the hell would I need to explain myself to you? Last time I checked, you were the underling and I was the master-Not the other way around!"

"I remember being close friends, too." Negi countered tactfully.

"Ugh." A disgusted look washed over the tiny vampire's face. "Don't play that card with me, Negi."

Negi took a seat on the bed with her and leaned in her direction. "So you won't say anything?"

_"Who dropped you?"_ She growled at him.

"I think you just want attention." Negi mumbled, knowing full well that she would be able to hear it. He smiled out of her sight when he heard her ask, _"What did you just say about me?"_

Negi turned back to face her. "I said that you're just doing this for attention. Admit it, Eva-chan, you knew that I would come to visit if you didn't show up for class."

"Don't be so full of yourself." Evangeline retorted before quirking an eyebrow at the small smirk that appeared on his lips. It almost disturbed her just how similar he was to the dream-like version of him that her mind conjured the day before. "What is that look for?"

"I don't exactly mind, Eva-chan." He kicked off his shoes and joined her at the center of the bed. "If you're lonely, you know?"

Evangeline tensed when he crawled to her and leaned over so that their noses almost touched. She cupped his chin in one hand and softly growled, _"Don't make me punch you."_

"You want me to leave?"

"Yes." Evangeline answered without any hesitation in her voice.

"Alright, but I just need to hear one thing from you first."

"I'm not making any trades, stupid." Evangeline said, frustratedly. "Get out of my room!"

Negi placed both of his hands at her sides much to her intrigue. What the heck was he about to do?

_"Not..."_ He raised them up to her arm pits causing her to blink in an adorable fashion that he wished he could have caught on tape.

"What are you doing?" Evangeline was genuinely curious.

_"...until you tell me the truth!"_ With that declaration Negi started moving his fingers as quickly as he could. The unforeseen action caused a squeal to escape the lips of the Undying wizard. Seconds later that squeal was joined by a stifled laugh, and a chuckle, and a giggle until her face burst out into an unwilling grin as she did her best to tighten into a small ball, however, since she was powerless under the curse placed upon her, Negi had the upper hand! He was relentless in his attack, tickling her even as she scrambled from side to side in an attempt to break out of his ticklish grips. Before long she couldn't hold it in anymore, laughing...maniacally? Well, Negi was hoping for something a little more angelic, but it appeared that even when she was forced to laugh it came out evil and twisted.

He shrugged his shoulders. _At least I'm having a little fun._

_"ST-AHAHA I SHAID-AEIIIIHEEHEEHEE-HEY STUPIDS! I TOLJOO DO STOB!" _Evangeline ordered him helplessly.

"Are you having fun?" Negi demanded.

_"N-NGO! JU-STAP IT!" _

"Admit it already!"

_"GAHAHAHA! IMA-HAHA-N-NOD ENJAJAJOYINJ DIS!"_

"I'm not stopping until you tell me the truth!"

Chachamaru and Chachazero watched with interest as Negi descended the steps from the second floor to meet them. His dress shirt had been popped open, his jacket was torn, a shoe was missing, and he honestly just looked like a mess. Then there was the bite mark on his lip...

"What happened to you, master Negi?" Chachazero asked excitedly because that didn't sound a bit like concern.

"We heard a bit of commotion coming from up there earlier." Chachamaru infromed him, non too happy.

"Well..." Negi began, massaging the back of his neck with an awkward look upon his face. "Master isn't too happy right now."

Evangeline buttoned her pajama shirt, the scowl never leaving her face even after she ran her hand through her messy hair.

"_Are you having fun? Are you having fun?_" The vampiress mocked Negi with a look of annoyance. She straightened out her sleeves and grumbled, _"Stupid."

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**_[ Reaching VALENTINE'S DAY... ]  
_**

Today was the day in which couples frolicked the streets and halls with hands held proudly in a universal message that spoke volumes to those who found that their own hands were, unlike those that were mentioned, free from the grips of a lover. It was the holiday in which wads of money were spent on short lasting, chocolates and roses in hopes that a long lasting relationship would flourish from the cold emptiness of a malnourished wallet. It was a day in which the manliest of men would swallow up said manliness in order to please their sweet hearts by joining them in the simple pleasure of watching a chick flick, but most of all it was the day in which beds would be destroyed and temporarily fixed with that dependable screw driver before round two came about and destroyed them again. _(And shame on you, sir. Get your ass to Ikea!)_ Well, as much as a fun thrill as the illusion appeared to offer, there were those few who felt that it was nothing more than a waste of time. There were those few who felt bitter about it. Hell, there were those few who could not help but feel that the day should have never existed in the first place.

Chisame Hasegawa was one of the few in question, also known as Chiu the net idol depending on the circumstances of your first meeting. This particular quirk in her life made it a little conflicting, for Chiu was a strong encourager of love and everything that stood for it while Chisame was...well...not so passionate about the subject. That being the case, Chiu's picture gallery tended to update ten fold on Valentine's Day and for those of you who did not realize how tragic that line was, read it again, please. On this particular Valentine's Day, however, Chisame was now faced with a decision that she had been in dread about for a few days now.

"...Cripes." The net idol grumbled, sitting on the carpeted floor of her dark dorm room. Her head turned to the direction of her faithful companion, the PC sitting on the desk across from her, customized with the hardware necessary for keep, _Chiu the net idol_, alive in the eyes of her countless fans. It was always there for her whenever she needed to vent her emotions, or simply when she was in need of a rush. It defined the vision she had of herself being that one _special_ girl that everyone desired and wished to be with. It provided her with all the fame and attention that she ever wanted, and yet, for the past year something else had been there for her to offer more than she ever thought possible.

That brought her attention to the box of chocolates and the bento box on her bed, illuminated by the light coming from her computer screen. She didn't fair too well with anything other than onigiri when it came to her own home cooking so she hoped it would suffice. The chocolates were more to cover for what the rice balls lacked than as the traditional gift for the holiday. It put her mind at ease to thik that he would at least be pleased with something that he gave her, and yet at the same time it also kind of disturbed her that she would actually go out of her way to please someone. Many saw her as the introverted individual. She was the person that did her best to make herself scarce in a crowd. She wasn't the type to attempt to make small talk with another person whenever she was in the waiting room to be called as the next patient. She wasn't the gossiper that Haruna and Misa were, and she wasn't the selfless soul that Konoka was known to be. What she did as Chiu was for her own self satisfaction more than anything else so even that did not count. Despite all that, she made no effort to change her ways, but spending time with _him_ filled her with the desire to make an effort. She wanted to talk to him, laugh with _him_ and do things to make _him_ smile even though she wouldn't outwardly admit such things.

So today was her chance to show a little appreciation. It was her chance to take a step further in their platonic relationship. It was-

_"STUPID!" _Chisame cried out with a furious blush on her face, flailing her arms at unseen forces around her. _"This is so, so stupid! Why the hell did I even think about doing this? He's just going to look at me like I'm some kind of idiot!" _She stood up from her seat on the floor and walked over to her bed with plans of throwing away both boxes, but as her hands came close to touching them, they trembled. She didn't really want to do this, did she? She worked pretty hard last night getting this together, but the real question was how she would manage to pull it off.

"The rest of those groupies are probably already on the move." The spectacled girl muttered, light reflecting off her lenses. "Then there's the fact that..." She looked down at her chest and patted it a bit. Sure, her body was going somewhere but...it was moving too slow, while the other girls in the class appeared to have some sort of special diet that was giving them just the _"UMPH" _she needed.

_Except the twins...heheh. I'll always have one over those two. _The net idol thought with a chuckle before another dreadful thought came to mind. _Dammit...but twins are hot. Every guy drools over the idea of having twin girlfriends._

"But _he's_ different." Chisame thought, crossing her arms. "_He's_ always been different from all the rest."

_His comments prove it. _The net idol thought back to the picture comments that _he_ always sent her. "And...and he accepts me for who I am." Chisame thought out loud. "He doesn't make fun of my hobbies." He never showed any sort of indication of being uncomfortable whenever she invited him to accompany her to the cosplay conventions she happily attended. He even wore the choices she made for him. Er...but there was just one thing about it that felt a little wrong. It was-

_"Negi Springfield." _Chisame said her teacher's name with a slight hint of admiration as she touched the side of her neck. That fateful night that they spent together felt so wrong...and yet it felt_ sooo_ good! It went against everything she believed in...and yet she was able to make an exception since it was _him_. Her master, Negi Springfield...

_**-{Coming out on the War Gr-...er...-Campus Grounds }-**_

Chisame took her first step out of her Dorm hall, crinkled plastic bag hanging from one hand with her special gifts since she couldn't find anymore of the nice Valentine bags that they sold at the convenience stores. She looked down at it was a frown for a moment before adjusting her glasses and proceeding forward into the mass of walking students. Some of the young woman that were walking on her way to the school were holding red laces in their hands connected to heart shaped balloons, and the guys were practically dropping their heart shaped boxes and bouqet of roses everytime a passing girl greeted them. It made the net idol roll her eyes to see just how the young men walked so stiffly in the presence of the passing cliques of chattering girls.

_Relax guys. We're not going to kill you. _She thought before a vision of her classmates came to mind. _Well, not all of us try to._

"Hey, Chisame!" A voice called out to her excitedly making the girl cringe somewhat.

"Oh, geez." The net idol looked over her shoulder to see Natsumi waving at her from behind. _I was hoping this would be a quiet walk. _She glanced at her bag again and bit her lip by mistake causing a bit of blood to trickle down her chin. She wiped it quickly with a finger, tempted to suck it clean, but the cheer leader had caught up with her.

"Hey." Natsumi waved when she was beside her. "This is the first time I've seen you out so early. You usually come to class around the time that homeroom is about to begin."

"I decided to do something different." Chisame answered her plainly. Hopefully if she was pretty direct the girl would get bored with her, and leave before she could pick up on the-

"-bag?" Was what Chisame heard from Natsumi's mouth when she was free from her thoughts.

"What?" She asked turning her head slightly.

"What have you got in the bag?" Natsumi smirked mischievously. She caught on quickly.

"Some...stuff for lunch." Chisame lied with her poker face on.

"Interesting color for a bento. I can see it through the plastic, you know?" The cheerleader teased, walking closer to her.

"It was the only one I could find at the time."

"Oh, I got ya'." Natsumi nodded casually as she kept a steady pace with the net idol.

_Silence..._

"So who is it for?"

"Would you mind your own..." Chisame's eyes widened when she realized that she slipped, and the look on Natsumi's face when she turned to check if she caught it told her just that. She knew this would have happened if she stayed around too long.

"Wow!" Natusmi placed a hand on her chest with a surprised expression. "That's great! Really, who is it?"

"Shouldn't you be with the others right now? You know...talking and stuff?"

"...I...uh...didn't feel like it."

_Hm? What was that?_ Chisame quirked a brow at the down beat response. "Did something get under your skin?"

"Huh?" Natsumi perked up. "Um, what did you say?"

"What's up with you?"

The cheerleader nearly jumped back at her question, placing a hand behind her head with a sheepish grin. "Nothing! Why do you ask?"

"Because something is obviously bothering you?" Chisame asked in an _'Isn't it obvious?' _sort of matter.

"Well...you know...um..." Natsumi started wringing her hands as she looked up at the sky for a moment. "I...just..." She stopped abruptly to look at her watch and giggled nervously, "Oh, man! Lookit that!" And with that Natsumi made tracks that would have started a war between the theatre club and the track team because her talent was obviously going to waste. Now, it could be that her problem would have a lot to do with the fact that Chizuru had been teasing Kotaro about being his Valentine back at their dorm _(*Hint-Hint* Smell a future plot device?) _and it may have caused a few feelings to bubble up within the young lady, but let us not assume such things because a young maiden's heart is truly harder to figure out than that...or not. That woman better quit leaving me rude messages because it's beginning to...oh...and back to the show.

"Talk about greedy..." Chisame grumbled as she watched Natsumi's fleeting form. _You want me to share my secrets, but I ask one little thing and suddenly you have a place to get to. Well, good riddens..._

To her good fortune she enountered no one else from her class on the way to the school facility. She'd seen some of the attractions that the other students had planned for the day. She could count on one finger how many _'Love Fortune'_ stands she had seen on the way, although that one with the delinquent surrounded by animals really stuck out. There were a few love cafe's set up with maids standing in front of the doors. One welcoming group consisted of a short girl with purple hair with the emotinal capacity of a rock, and a girl in a bunny suit with short, brown hair that was struggling with another rather well endowed girl who wore a similar suit in red. The latter was crying out for help from two young men who were leaning against a wall in the distance. One had a neutral expression, though his left eye seemed to be twitching while the other young man had a cheerful expression, leaning a little closer to the other than he was apparently comfortable with.

_Where did they come from? _Chisame wondered, staring at them briefly before resuming her walk. She passed a well constructed love tunnel that had a slim looking woman with long, black hair that fell to the ground, wearing a dress as dark as night with a strange, white rabbit-like creature sitting on her shoulder. A bespectacled young man dressed in an equally dark suit stood beside her with his hands held behind his back. They sure looked out of place. Oh, there were those five gundam pilots that were sitting on a bench she passed, too. Well, didn't try too hard to slip in that one, did I?

"That took longer than usual." The net idol stopped in front of school building when she saw three familiar face approaching in the distance. It was the usual trio that consisted of the healer, the fan wielder, and the young magi. Setsuna accompanied them, looking slightly uncomfortable beside Konoka as the bubbly girl latched on to her arm. Asuna was holding a small, red gift bag in one hand, seemingly uncomfortable with the fact that Setsuna had one arm linked with Negi's. Negi, too, seemed just a little uncomfortable as well, but Chisame already knew well, why. He was obviously looking out for the inevitable coming of Makie, Ku-Fei, and the others who usually came after him on Valentine's day. She was a little surprised that Ayaka didn't drop down in front of them from her private helicopter like last time...until she heard one nearby.

"Huh?" And judging by the way Negi suddenly flinched and looked up at the sky in horror, he was too. The young magi acted quickly, pulling free from Setsuna's grip, which was a little firmer than he anticipated since he almost dragged the swordsman with him, and making a dash for the school entrance.

_"OHOHOHOHO!" _The class president laughed haughtily as she hung from the side of the pink helicopter. _"You won't escape from me this time, sensei!" _She cried out confidently before she jumped down from a suspended cable and landed lightly on the ground in front of Chisame. She then proceeded to follow her beloved teacher into the school building accompanied by three of her butlers and maids, each whom had some kind of box of chocolates and bouqet of roses in their arms. This was going to be tough...

"IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!" Asuna cried out at her long time friend.

"Mind your own business!" Ayaka yelled back at the red-head. "Why don't you just go and stalk Takahata-sensei already?"

Asuna burned crimson as smoke poured out of her ears. "I-I-I am not stalking him!" Was what she wanted to yell back, but Kaede rushed past her with a rose held between her teeth, chased by Ku-Fei who was carrying a basket of food, sputtering threats at the kunoichi.

_"You talk to sensei and I break back!" _The chairman cried out viciously, seemingly too focused on catching up to Kaede to realize that she was slipping back into her old way of speaking again.

_"Not if he breaks mine first!" _The Kunoichi shouted back suggestively, flustering the Chinese beauty.

"I call him first!" Ku-Fei argued.

"Doesn't matter!" Kaede taunted her before she gracefully jumped into one of the open windows. Ku-Fei gripped her basket to her chest protectively and did the same.

_I can't believe this crap! _Chisame clenched her teeth before picking up the pace as well.

Konoka saw the net idol run by and gasped excitedly, turning to speak to her captive. "You think she's after Negi-chan, too?"

"Unlikely." Setsuna replied before a group of Ursula Campus students rushed by with gifts in their hands as well. "...I concede defeat..." The crow demon sighed, slumping like a bested warrior.

"What do you mean, Setsuna?" Asuna asked her friend after hearing the words leave her mouth. The red-head blinked a few times before she finally realized what the swordsman was talking about. "Y-You mean y-you were after Negi, too?"

"I figured I would try it." The crow demon grinned sheepishly, closing her eyes with a casual shrug. At that moment Konoka locked eyes with Asuna for a few seconds before she pulled Setsuna closer to herself and declared, "I have dibs on her, then."

"Nobody is fighting you on that, Konoka." Asuna said flatly at her childishness.

"H-HEY!" Asuna jumped when she heard the sudden call come from behind her. She whipped around to find Nodoka panting exhaustedly, hands on her knees with a red book gripped in one sweaty hand. Why wasn't Yue with her?

"Nodoka? Are you alright?" Asuna tried to help the girl straighten up, but the librarian held up a tremblig hand to stop her.

"Just_...huff..._tell me_...puff..._AM I TOO LATE?"

_The three girls glanced at each other nervously..._

_**-{ Getting a look at Negi's situation }-**_

"Hey, master Negi!" Chachazero cried out her master's name from her comfy place in his shirt as he rushed down the hall like a bat out of hell. He dodged every passing student with relative ease, ducking and jumping over some of the props that were crafted for the attractions they had set up. With the untrained eye all one could see was a blur accompanied by a strong breeze.

"What is it?" Negi asked, gripping a pipe to swing himself into the corner. He could feel Kaede and Ku-Fei's presence closing in on him at a frightening rate. The annoyed cries and yells from the students behind him for people to watch where they were going alerted him of Ayaka and her terror squad as well.

"This happens to us often," The puppet reached into her jacket to pull out a small slip of paper with scribble on it, "so I wrote an escape theme for us just for the hell of it! Wanna hear it?"

"Zero-chan!" Negi groaned as two balloons got tangled with his arms, bopping a few students. "This really isn't the time!"

"Well, duh! We're escaping aren't we?" The puppet replied.

_...Makes sense..._ Negi nodded to himself after giving it some thought. "A-Alright! Go ahead, then."

"Awesome!" Chachazero exclaimed bored clearing her throat. "YO, IT'S THE NIGH UNSTOPPA-

"Whoa!" Negi made an unexpected dodge when Makie suddenly jumped out of the room in front of him. He dipped into a power slide, bending his upper body back as low as he could in order to make a clean escape under her legs before jerking forward to perform a shoulder, tuck in roll and ending with a kick off from his left foot to get him sprinting again. In the scuffle the slip of papar that Chachazero had in her hand got whisked away much to her rage.

"It wasn't easy writing that! We have to go back for it!" She demanded hysterically.

"Sorry!" Negi apologized to her. "Can't do it now!"

"I'm not writing any more than that!" Chachazero informed him angrily, crossing her arms.

"And that's tragic, but-"

"Why are you running anyway?"

"...History dictates that I do." Negi replied after a moment of silence.

"Mmm-kay." The puppet asked no more questions. "Carry on, then."

"Right-o." Negi responded as he pushed through a stairway exit and grinded the rail down to the lower floor to continue his escape. He rushed down the hallway and turned the corner to find an open classroom and a hand beckoning him to enter. Unlike the frightening auras that he was met with on the floor above, this one seemed much more peaceful. He might just be able to trust this person. With that in mind, he took his pace down to a power jog and entered the classroom, hearing the door slam shut behind him.

"Hm? My homeroom?" Negi mused, looking around to find that he did, indeed, lead himself back to his own homeroom somehow. What were the odds of that happening?

_"Yes...your homeroom."_ An annoyed voice answered from behind him.

"Oh." Remembering that someone was with him, Negi turned around to find Chisame leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Chisame-chan?" Negi untucked Chachazero from his shirt and placed her on his head again. "You came early today."

"Yeah." The girl replied nonchalantly as she adjusted her glasses. Her school uniform was a little wrinkled, most likely from all the running she had to do just to get to the class. "It was the only way I could make sure to get to you before the rest of them did."

"Why?" Negi gave her a strange look, placing his hands on his hips.

"Get your head screwed on straight." The girl growled agitatedly. "Why else would I approach you alone today?"

Negi was almost stunned."Y-You want to be my Valen-"

"To say thanks." Chisame cut him off as she held out the plastic bag she had to him. "I know it isn't easy dealing with me. I know I can be pretty cold sometimes and a little hard to talk to...so I just want to say thanks for accepting me."

"Th..." Negi cleared his throat. "That's not true at all. It's never hard to be around you."

"That's a lie, sensei." The net idol scoffed. "Don't try that on me because I'm pretty sure that I know myself well enough to...to..." Chisame stopped in her tracks when Negi close the distance between them and placed his hands on her hips. She did her best not to shiver under his familiar touch. "What?"

"All you need to do is open up a bit to everyone else," He smiled at her warmly, "Just like you did for me."

"It's...not that simple."

"Of course it is." The young magi assured her. "You just make life that much more difficult by denying how simple it is."

Chisame smirked. "You got that from someone else."

"Yes I did." Negi answered her quickly.

"Well, then..." Chisame placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away lightly. "...let's start this over again."

"Sure." Negi nodded, taking a step back.

Chisame cleared her throat and set her bag down to take out the box of chocolates she had prepared. She looked at the heart shaped box for a moment before returning her attention back to her teacher and swallowed. No matter how much she tried to look at it any other way this was a little weird for her. The young man before her was, after all, the same person she promised herself that she wouldn't get in too deep with in fear that she would be _infected_ just like the other girls that got close to him. He was the same person she couldn't stand because of the mystery that surrounded him. He was the enigma that she couldn't understand, and yet now she felt that she was getting closer to figuring him out. It might not been tomorrow or even years from now, but sooner or later she was going to understand just why people couldn't resist him, just why a simple look from him could lighten her mood or fluster her effortlessly, just why he could give her the courage to change...

..._or why she just couldn't deny that she loved him_...

"Would you be my valentine, master?"

"It would my greatest honor, Chisame Hasegawa."

_...until then, she just wouldn't tell him._

_After all, she couldn't stand him.

* * *

  
_

**_*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*._[F]_[V]_[A]_.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

* * *

-_**

_**[ Returning to Evangeline's Residence later that night... ]  
**_

It was ten o' clock at night and Evangeline McDowell still lay in bed, looking at her ceiling as she basked in the moonlight that poured in through the window of her room. Quite honestly there was nothing else that she wanted to be doing at the moment. All she would have to do was tough it out for a few more hours and the damned day would be over. Nothing else could have reminded her more of just what she couldn't grasp within her hands other than that accursed dream she had two days ago, and the fact that it was Valentine's Day sprinkled salt on a wound that had never come to heal since the day Nagi rejected her. Her loneliness would be eternal...

"This is depressing." The vampiress said boredly as she sat up in bed. She pulled the covers to the side to get both of her feet on the floor and fixed her hair a bit before heading out of her room. Walking through the hall that lead to the stairs, she found it odd that the lights in the living room was off. Usually Chachamaru would still be active, cleaning with her sisters but apparently that was not the case tonight. Well, if they thought that they were going to get away with slacking off just because she was going through a sulking period, they were sorely mistaken. She marched down the stairsteps intent on heading for the kitchen to look for Chachamaru but her ears picked up something coming from outside. It sounded a lot like a violin playing.

_Is that Chachamaru out there?_ The vampiress thought curiously before turning on her heel to head out to the courtyard instead. What she found caught her off guard. There was a table set at the center of the courtyard with specially prepared dishes, and candles to set the romantic mood. Standing beside the table was Negi Springfield, dressed in a white tuxedo with a red rose held gently in one hand and his other hand held out to her as if to invite her over. Chachamaru was already seated at the table adorned in a strapless, black dress with a black ribbon tied in her hair, and Chachazero was seated on her head with a tuxedo that resembled Negi's, strangely enough. Behind them were four of her maids playing the violin with their eyes closed since they weren't very good at emulating emotions, and having their eyes open with such listless expressions would have been just a little unnerving.

"What...is this?" Evangeline found herself slightly at a loss for words as Negi approached her.

He got down on one knee and offered her the rose with smirk. "We've been waiting for you, Eva-chan."

"What are you doing here?" Evangeline asked him with an annoyed expression on her lovely face. "I thought I told you that I didn't want to look at your face."

"I'm sorry, Evangeline, but I just couldn't do that." The way he spoke her name so naturally had her cheeks heating up for reasons only she knew.

"You would disobey me?" The dark girl asked darkly, crossing her arms.

"I would disobey an order that would keep us from each other." Negi answered her with a nod.

Evangeline's frown gradually twitched upward into a small smile. "And why is that, boya?" She asked before she parted her lips slightly to accept his rose.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, master?" Negi asked her gently as he slipped his rose between her teeth. _"There just wouldn't be a me without you."_

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_Think of this as a badly written love letter from me to you._

_You have my deepest apologies for being a stranger for the past two months, but I've had my reasons, and I can't promise you that I'll be able to return to updating at my usual_

_pace any longer. I can promise you, however, that this series will never die, as will my appreciation for all of you for reading._

_After all, there is no me without you. Heh, heh...  
_

**_Happy Valentines Day,_**

_Traingham..._


	11. Finding Harmony

_Disclaimer: I don't own Negima or any of its vibrant character..._

_**Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

_**Chapter Nine: Drifting Along this Stream  
**_

_By Traingham_

* * *

"Hrmm." Negi grunted softly with a bit of disapproval when another round of shots was placed between him and the black clad woman sitting across from him. This must have been the fourth time he had seen that same bar waitress come by to serve them and it was beginning to unnerve him for reasons that were quite understandable. Well, for one, he certainly wasn't of the age to drink _(Something that he still took into consideration despite now being ageless) _, and yet, he just downed three shot glasses already, courtesy of his lovely new friend or rather to himself since the money was being deducted from his own funds in the end. In his defense it was done rather reluctantly, but downed nonetheless. Strangely, he didn't feel any different from before. He figured that his vampirism changed a little more than just his physical strength. Still, why was he doing this again? Maybe it was due to the fact that his drinking partner was a little intimidating, for one. The last thing he wanted to do was displease her. Another reason could stem from the fact that this wasn't exactly the sort of meeting that most vampires would feel at ease about. One could call this, _'sleeping with the enemy.'_

"What?" Blue eyes narrowed at him from across that table as the word left a pair of lovely lips. The woman moved a stand of her thick, dark hair away from her face before she brought the shot glass to her lips and tossed her head back to drain it. When she tapped the tiny glass back down on the surface of the smooth wood, round ended table she quirked a brow. "Would you stop staring at me?"

Negi lowered his gaze a bit. "Sorry." He apologized, setting his sights on the clear liquid in his shot glass. With the way he studied it one would have thought he was expecting the liquid in the glass to suddenly jump at him with a knife. He wanted to be somewhere else right now. He wanted to lay his head on a pillow for a while and rest his eyes. After his escape from Lucinda's pocket dimension, he found himself a little more fidgety than usual although something like that was fairly natural if one took a moment to review his situation. An all powerful dark mistress _(He was supposed to avoid these women)_ was now fully aware of his existence _(They weren't supposed to know that he existed...) _and had developed an unhealthy interest in him. _(Unhealthy and scary interests.) _Said woman was now on a hunt for him, and now he was a tad bit paranoid. Paranoia tended to lower one's ability to sleep and since he was a day walker, well, that was a little unhealthy for him.

"Hey, guy." Negi raised his head when his partner called to him.

"Yes?" Negi asked her, blinking.

"How long do you intend to nurse that glass?" She asked, tapping her fingers upon the table in a rhythmic fashion. At her question Negi decided that it was finally time for him to break this off. His traveling funds were at stake right now, as was his appreciation for women in general. She certainly was an interesting character to say the least, but the chemistry was going awry between them. He just didn't see this going anywhere short of ruin.

Negi waved a hand from side to side with a shake of his head. "You know...I'm fine." He slid his shot across the table to her and said, "How about you have it?"

"No way." She replied with a serious expression gracing her lovely features. "Its your drink." She pushed it back before pinning one of her finger against the table roughly. Negi was surprised she didn't snap it with the amount of force she used. "So drink it."

Negi could still taste the bitterness on his tongue. Did he really want another gulp of that stuff? "Nah." He pushed the glass away again. "I'm going to pass."

His drinking partner blinked a few times with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. "Don't be ridiculous! Don't just let it go to waste!"

"Well, you're the one who brought this on us in the first place!" Negi argued, gesturing to the glass. "You drink it!"

"Are you a man or what?" She narrowed her eyes at him with...disappointment? Wait just a second! What did she have to be disappointed about? They didn't even know each other that well to have the right to be disappointed in one another.

Negi flinched when he felt Chachazero shift around in his jacket. "D-don't pull that on me!" The young magi leaned over slightly with narrowed eyes. "I don't even know how we managed to get this far. It was supposed to be just _one _drink, right?" And these words were true, so much in fact that the woman could only manage so much as a blank expression in response.

She decided to take an alternate route. "You would deny a woman one of her simple pleasures?" She asked, trying her best to charm him with one of her practiced smiles. That, of course, would mean that this sort of situation was not unfamiliar to her. Imagine her surprise when he said-

"Yeah." Negi replied with a look of skepticism. "Just pick up the bill so I can pay it already." He reached into the inside pocket of his magister cloak with a sigh. Only his luck would stick him in this sort of situation. It must have come with the package deal of being the son of a legend. Sometimes he wondered how much differently his life would have been if he was raised with a normal family...depending on the type of books you read, you already know what path that would have gone.

"You know-"

**_GULP..._**

_Agh..._ Her lips twitched downward when Negi downed the shot before she could get her paws on it first. Blinking a few times, she now looked like a little girl on the verge of whining. "Hey," She called his attention when he set down the glass. "I thought you said-"

"I wouldn't want to demean myself in front of you." Negi answered her question sarcastically. He finally decided to scratch at an itch that had been bothering him since the moment she took a seat at his table. "Um...how did you end up losing your money anyway?" His question caused her demeanor to darken somewhat; clearly a subject she wasn't in the mood to touch on.

"Srmdurmkidz." She grumbled quickly in response. She ended her reply by turning her head to the side with a fist clenched on top of the table.

Negi paused for a moment. "I didn't get that..."

"It doesn't really matter!" She answered him woefully.

"Are you crying?" Negi cocked his head slightly.

"No, no," She wiped her eyes roughly. "I'm not!"

The magi sighed, rolling his eyes. "Er, look, I'll take care of it." _The chances of meeting this woman again is pretty slim anyway, right? _

She regarded him quietly for a moment. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Why?" Negi quirked a brow. _I'm beginning to dread that question these days._

"So I can sing melodies of your great generosity, of course." She replied in an amused fashion. "Is the reason for asking a name so important?" She offered him a smirk. "What have you to hide?"

"...Only if you give me yours in return." Negi bargained.

"What for?"

"Why would that be important?" Negi echoed her previous response. "So I can warn others about you in the future, of course." He decided to add on the end to show her that his intentions were just as friendly as her own. At least he hoped they were.

"Katherine." She extended him a hand over the table before she went on, "Katherine Rosenthal."

"Negi Springfield." Negi exchanged, accepting her gesture. Their hands met with a certain firmness that spoke of their friendly intentions, though Negi was sure that he felt a little bit of a squeeze on Katherine's part. Maybe she was still hurting over the drink that got away from her, or perhaps she was just trying to get a further understanding of his character by checking to see if he would squeeze back. Actually there was a lot of things that could have been going through her mind with the simple gesture if one really took a moment to think back on her profession and just who she was shaking hands with. It sure did well to add on to the tension of the situation.

"Nice name." She commented off offhandedly with a subtle smile after letting go. "Nice ring to it."

"Thanks." Negi said with a grin, all the while, trying to make sense of the contact they just shared. It was a little long to be considered a mere handshake, and the young man wasn't exactly dense when it came to matters not pertaining to love and affection. After all, he was Takane's master. Spending time with the blonde magistress taught him a lot about the little things one had to look for when dealing with a shady individual. "Could say the same for you." He winced when he felt a small pinch on his chest. Katherine regarded him curiously when he cast a look at his stomach, or at least that's what it looked like from her point of view.

"Stomach ache?" She asked.

"Something like that." He lied because admitting to her that his familiar happened to be a puppet that was a little on the possessive side would have been a little awkward. In fact, anything that wasn't a lie would have been pretty unwise to talk freely of. Such was the life of a vampiric wizard. "Well," He caught the attention of their waitress with a little hand gesture, pulling out his wallet from the sleeve of his magister cloak. "Let me just get this out of the way."

"You're leaving?"

"I'd like to get some rest before I head on out again." Negi answered her with a pause to yawn. "I've got a lot ahead of me."

"So you're a traveler, huh?" The vampire hunter asked, resting her cheek in one hand. That sure was something else these days. Then again, just by looking at the young magi, one could easily tell that there was something out of the ordinary about him. From his odd hair style to his choice of clothes, there was something surely special about him. Also, judging by how he kept that large walking rod around with him, she assumed that he was doing his travels on foot. What an interesting fellow indeed. She was going to have to pay him some mind, that much was clear in his company.

"Yeah." Negi replied.

The pig tailed waitress came to the table, offering him an admiring grin. "Need something?" She asked sweetly, something that had been lacking in her when she approached the other tables of lecherous men. Meeting someone like Negi in such a place was quite refreshing. Now if only he could ditch the woman, then maybe things would look up a little more. She stole a glance at Katherine while such thoughts went through her mind.

"Bill, please." Negi told her with a smile.

"Ooh." She pressed her writing pad to her chest in an obvious attempt to charm him. "Leaving so soon?"

"Aha." Negi casually turned his attention away from her pressed assets. "Can't be helped."

"If you say so..." She trailed off expectantly. She missed that way a small wooden hand poked out from the inner pocket of the magister's cloak to flip her the bird. Luckily Katherine didn't, either. Negi simply pushed Chachazero's small hand back into the concealment of his cloak as cautiously as possible. He was going to have to have a little talk with his partner later about her manners. She had been getting rather restless ever since they got into town, although that was to be expected now that he really paid a little mind to her situation. Usually he wouldn't have to be so secretive about his relationship with her, but with normal people around their interaction was pretty limited. He was going to have to make it up to her later. Those worries aside, Negi realized that the pig tailed waitress was awaiting a name from his lips.

"Just hand over the bill, sweety." Katherine saved him from answering her unvoiced question. She smiled at the miffed young woman. "He's not interested."

_"Funny you should say that, cause-"_ Both the waitress and Katherine turned to Negi just as he slapped his hand over his stomach.

Silence followed.

"Whew," Negi broke through the tension with a good natured grin. "I guess I'm a little hungry." He purposely patted the spot under his cloak that his faithful familiar was hiding to keep her from tossing any more insults. He wondered why she was being so irritable as of late. You see, the young magister wouldn't have been able to detect affection and jealousy unless it was thrown at him, or if it assaulted him for that matter. In that right, Evangeline McDowell knew exactly what she was doing to make that message clear to him. Perhaps even Mana...although that might lead to something horrifying given the...ahem...complex nature of their situation regarding each other. Fatal attraction, indeed.

"Hungry, eh?" Katherine mused, losing interest in their waitress as she looked down at her own stomach with a thoughtful expression. The hunger didn't really hit her until her fine drinking partner mentioned it. Well, without money-_Katherine looks at Negi sneakily-_ it looked like she was going to have to go with plan B. "You know, there's a really nice pla-"

"Not with you." Negi cut her off with a glare.

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Leaving that place behind..._**

**_------------------------------------_**

Negi's eye swiveled to his side to find Katherine walking beside him casually, all of the equipment hanging from her waist swinging back and forth with a rhythmic click and jingle. While they certainly weren't any tools that one would find dangerous at first glance, Negi had a feeling that they could be considered a threat under her skillful use. It was almost enough to send shivers down his spine. Then again, why was she still with him? He made it clear to her back at the small establishment that he was going to part ways with her, and yet, she didn't appear to catch on too well. Either that or she was attempting to forcefully mooch off of him. That was uncomfortable.

"Hey." Negi called to her with a slight hint of irritation.

"Huh?" Katherine turned to look at him with a face of indifference, almost as though she didn't even happen to notice him. "Hey, Springfield."

"Where are you going?" He asked, getting a disgusted expression in exchange.

"And why would you want to know that for?" The woman asked, narrowing her eyes at him. The tone of her voice was convincing enough in conveying the message that she wasn't comfortable with his question, but he still couldn't be too sure. He did spend most of his life around women, after all. On a side note, he wouldn't think that out loud if all the girls from Mahora was near by. He was smarter than that.

"...So you're not following me?"

"What would give you that idea?" Katherine appeared to be genuinely disturbed by his line of thought. Perhaps this was a coincidence after all...or not.

"So...you're telling me that we just happen to be heading the same way?"

_They both made a left turn at the end of the block._

Katherine shrugged her shoulders. "Seems that way."

_...I can't really ask much else. _Negi inwardly reasoned, following on his path back to the inn that he had himself booked at when he came into town earlier. _I guess I'll just keep it casual. We should break off at some point._ That was common sense, right? It wouldn't be possible for them to head in to the same place unless she really did happen to be following him like he feared, or if he just had really rotten luck. Now, this might have been saying much about the young magi's outlook on his charmed life, but he really took the latter into consideration because...well...been reading lately? Certainly that sort of thinking wasn't healthy for a young man of his supposed age, but there was no denying it anymore. So when he and Katherine happened to enter the inn together _(he held the door for her, actually) _he didn't jump back and cry out like an idiot, or any of those reactions that one would expect from your normal leading man in this given situation.

Katherine studied him closely as he walked past her to get to the concierge desk. _Are you sure you're not following me?_

_"Ah, you're back!"_ The huntress heard the young woman behind the desk greet him cheerfully.

"Guess not." She mumbled to no one in particular, watching the young magi nod to the girl politely before heading up the stairs to head to his room. _Of course, I can't just ignore him though. The way he carries himself just isn't natural, but it clearly isn't something he's practiced either. That cloak of his certainly doesn't appear to be something of a common purchase either, and his manners aren't commonplace. _Her eyes followed his fleeting form without so much as a blink until he started turning her head in her direction, almost as if he sensed her gaze upon him. She did her best to make it seem as though she was simply checking the time on her watch before approaching the girl at the desk. _Any person that would take the kind of abuse I forced on him at that bar clearly has something to hide...or too nice for their own good._

Clearing away her thoughts, Katherine turned her attention to the girl, asking, "Have you gotten any word from my comrades?"

"Oh, you must be Katherine, then?" The girl asked.

"...Yes." The older woman answered when she realized that the girl wasn't going any further without a response.

"The taller man with the blonde hair said to leave the young man from earlier alone." She relayed the message.

"Oh..." She blinked after hearing the message and turned away from the girl before heading up the stairs to the rooms. _"Mind it, Wilson." _She grumbled in an after thought.

* * *

**_ __________________[F]____________[V]____________[A]___________________**

**_

* * *

_**Negi looked through the peek hole of his door to check for anything suspicious before sighing and reaching into his cloak to pull his familiar out. From the looks of how she remained with her arms crossed as he held her out in front of him with both hands, she didn't appear to be in the mood to hear any of his lectures. Well, that was too bad because he wasn't about to let her behavior from earlier just slide past. She was going to need to learn how to get a handle on that temper.

"Zero-chan..." Negi called her by his affectionate title for her. "Are you going to tell me what that was about earlier?" He was faced with a defiant expression. At least that was what he interpreted from the way her eyes narrowed to slits. Despite the fact that she was unable to make facial expressions for reasons that needed no explanation, his time with her told him a lot about her mood shifts. Crossed arms and slits meant defiance, apparently.

"Why are you so dense, master Negi?"

"What?" Negi blinked at her tone. She was mad at _him_?

"That woman was obviously taking advantage of you earlier." The demented puppet waved her arms agitatedly. "When are you gonna wise up?"

"I know that already." Negi told her, walking to the bed at the center of the room. When he took a seat, he set Chachazero down on his lap and slipped off his magister cloak. "Sometimes you just have to be that way for others to get the wrong impression." He explained. "She's not the type of person I want any negative attention from. By letting her take advantage, she doesn't see me as anybody worth paying any mind to." He offered her a smirk that was the equivalent of some sort of self proclamation. "See?"

"Or it could just backfire on you." Chachazero shot him down, getting him to bow his head in an instant. "You know...like it always does?"

"Why is it always so negative with you?" The young magi mumbled dejectedly.

"You need a little negativity to get by in life." The puppet replied, making herself comfortable on his lap. "All of that optimism is gonna get you hurt."

Negi sighed, falling onto his back. He looked up at the ceiling above and rested a hand upon his face for a moment as he lost himself in deep thought. Chachazero, seeing her chance, crawled onto his chest and laid on him. For all the trouble in the world, she would be willing to follow him through them and beyond as long as she was able to spend these quiet moments with him. At first it surprised even her that she would even conjure such thoughts in her mind, but Negi Springfield just had that sort of effect on her. He was her beloved master and any troublesome man or woman that attempted to change that would be on the receiving end of her blades.

"So what's next?" She called her master's attention.

"Good question." Negi replied in low spirits. "The wizards that Nekane told me about weren't in the town she directed us to, and my navigation is limited now that I'm being pursued." That would be referring to the fact that the two almost had a run in with a certain mistress a few days back once they departed from their intended destination. The skies weren't exactly very safe anymore. This was sure to make things a hell of a lot more difficult for him.

"Why don't you try giving Eva-san a call?" Chachazero suggested with a tap on his chest. "I mean, shouldn't she have been a logical source in the first place?"

Negi propped himself on his elbows to regard his familiar with a puzzled look. _But why would master be-- _The magister sweat dropped in embarrassment when he realized where he had gone wrong all along. Now that he took the time to consider it, the murderous puppet actually had a pretty good point there. Naturally, Evangeline would know a lot about how to track down the _'Thousand Master's' _whereabouts or how to reach his contacts since she practically stalked him around the globe before she was imprisoned on the campus. Well...time to make that call.

"Did I ever tell you that you were a genius?" Negi grinned at his tiny companion.

"Probably." The puppet shrugged.

"I wouldn't be surprised." The magi told her, stroking her hair affectionately. The puppet nuzzled his chest in response before she felt him hold her gently as he stretched his arm toward the night table beside the bed to slip the phone from its receiver. After shifting about so that his head was planted on one of the pillows, he let go of Chachazero and dialed Evangeline's number.

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Receiving the call at Evangeline's Residence...._**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

And so, Evangeline, wearing a black blouse and nothing more since there was really no need to be decent while there was no one else in the house but her faithful servant, Chachamaru, heard the phone ring loudly from the living room coffee table. Now, the vampiress wasn't exactly the type to jump up with joy and slide down the stair rail to answer a phone call from a traveling disciple, but one would question whether that had not been done since the undying wizard had reached the phone by the end of this sentence. She whipped her hair to the side as she placed the phone beside her ear before doing the honors of starting the conversation before Negi could ever hope to.

"Negi, that you?" She questioned rather casually. It wasn't the tone or choice of words that a disciple would expect to hear from his master and possible love interest when she happened to know that he was facing the possibility of being dragged by the the hair to a dark, secluded place at the hands of a dark mistress every waking moment of his life. Then again, memories of those flying lessons bubbled to the surface to remind him about the type of woman his master happened to be. Oh, that night wouldn't be forgotten...never forgotten...the forgetting of that night would never happen...never would the night of the flying ever fall into the forgetting of the-

_"It's me."_ The young magi answered her, rather dejectedly I might add, and it did not go lost on Evangeline.

"--The hell is wrong with you?" It just didn't impact her like he hoped it would.

_"I was hoping that you would sound a little happier to hear from me..."_

"Well, aren't you starving for attention?" Evangeline said flatly, raising an eyebrow as she placed a hand on her hip. "If that's the case, why don't you just come back?"

_"N-No way!" _Negi replied quicker that she expected him to. It obviously didn't take him much time to refuse the implied offer, and it just kind of grind her gears. Admittedly, this would be the first time she wished he didn't have a spine. _"Do you realize what I had to do just to leave in the first place?!"_

"Fly away?"

_"...So mean..."_

"So, did you call me just to bitch?"

_"No. I had a dream about you last night that just wouldn't let me sleep properly, and I just couldn't face the day without hearing your voice."_ Negi decided to reply on one of his bold moments. If he listened closely, he would have heard the faint beat of the dark girl's heart, which was a feat in itself since all who knew her would swear that it stopped pumping blood centuries ago.

Evangeline blinked for a moment as a lovely shade of pink filled her cheeks. "You better." Naturally, Negi didn't quite catch that very well.

_"Actually, I'm short of leads right now, so I've hit a dead end."_ Negi came out clean._ "It never really occurred to me before, but you're probably the best person I could think of coming to for answers in this situation."_

"Really, Columbo?"

_"Uh, yeah. I mean you stalked my father all the time before he imprisoned you here-"_

"I DID NOT S-STALK HIM!" Evangeline yelled defensively into the receiver. The origin of the faint bop in the background was Negi's head hitting the bed post in fright, which brought a slightly pleased smirk to the little blood sucker's lips. At least until she heard Chachazero say, _"Hell yeah, she was stalking him."_

"Shut it, wood chips..."

_"Ha, she's embarrassed!"_ The puppet cackled ruthlessly. _"I don't see anything wrong with it. I'd stalk you if I wasn't with you all the time, master Negi."_ And this was followed by a short silence because that disturbed both the master and disciple. Well, not so much the master as the disciple, but you try imagining how life would be if you were stalked by a psychotic doll.

"Wood chips would be far too generous for you." Evangeline growled menacingly. "Saw dust, you defective play thing!"

_"Whoa!" _Negi cried out on the other side after Chachazero yelped in surprise. _"I'm back on! Seriously! No need to turn her into dust!"_

"It's long overdue, boya." Evangeline giggled sinisterly before there was a sudden pause. "And why are _you_ so protective of her?"

_"Why wouldn't I be? She's my familiar."_

"An annoying one."

_"I think it's a cute quality."_

Evangeline held the phone away from her for a moment to regard it with a look of disbelief. How was it that he put up with that evil doll anyway? When she first set him up with the accursed thing, she was sure that he would beg for her to relieve him of the sadistic puppet in due time, but it was his third year with Chachazero and all she saw was progress. Progress of all things! Things she had to force the puppet to do was being done for the young man with a cheerful _'Yes, master Negi' _or a _'Only cause I like you'_ or even a _'But you have to strip tease for me later'_ sort of response. Not only that, but Chachazero was clearly...attached.

_Brr..._ The thought even managed to bring chills to Evangeline. _Hell must have frozen over._

Evangeline gave it another go. Negi had to have a complaint about something related to the green haired puppet. "She's practically your total opposite."

_"Variety brings color to my life."_

_Pfft. Life...good one. _Evangeline stopped herself from letting out a scoff. "Her interests fall under the category of blood and sharp objects."

_"We've got something in common."_

"She's cruel."

_"So is my master." _Negi replied in a casual manner. _"It grows on you after a while."_

_"_That's enough of that..." Evangeline really wanted to get off the subject. "So you need a heading, is that it?"

_"I need something."_ Negi replied. _"Right now I'm a sitting duck."_

"What's keeping you from moving?"

_"My latest stalker, apparently." _He replied. _"I almost ran into her again two days ago."_

"Lucinda..." Evangeline spoke her arch foe's name like bubbling venom on the tip of her tongue. _Of all the people this idiot could have crossed paths with, he had to meet her. I seriously wanna to punch something right now._ "If that's the case you better not do anything to exert yourself or she'll track my scent in your blood from miles away." She smirked at his current predicament. "I suppose that means that your wish has finally been fulfilled, boya." Her tone was sinister.

There was a pause. _"What...what wish are you talking about?"_

"You get to behave like a normal human again. Isn't that what you want?" The vampiress cackled. "I guess there really isn't much of a flight plan in the works anymore, is there? That is unless you want to go sailing with that staff of yours. The only disadvantage there is the danger of being caught by any mundanes." _Unlike natural flying, the boya wouldn't be able to pick up that much speed on his staff, and if he could push himself that far he would probably fall off if he isn't too careful._

_"...Great." _The frustration was clear in his voice as he responded. This was bound to cause him more trouble along the road. _"All of these set backs are beginning to hurt me._"

"You can only blame yourself for that." Evangeline countered with a fanged grin before it dropped faster than a rock. "Now, you recall the reason why Nagi earned his title, right?" Saying the name of her former love interest left a bitter sweet taste on her tongue.

_"He mastered a thousand spells, right?"_

The vampiress placed a hand over her forehead after listening to his answer before replying, "Nooooo. That was a lie to cover up for the actual reason that _man whore_ earned his title." Her affectionate title for the _Thousand Master_ left her lips a little bitterly.

_"Man whore?" _The magi sounded a little discouraged by that.

"If there's one things Nagi has a lot of, it's connections." Evangeline went on for the confused vampire. "He's rumored to have made contracts with a thousand minstras, maybe even more than that. Of course, the majority of those pactios were made with women, a path that you're sure to follow given the amount of attention you receive from the female populace." She paused for a moment to wait for a response, but Negi seemed to be much more interested in listening than anything else at the moment. "Now assuming that those minstras are as well known as that bastard, it shouldn't be too hard to track them down if you ask the right people."

_"But Takamichi and the others have no idea where he could have gone, and they were his closest friends!"_

"You'll find that there is a fine line that separates _lovers_ from _friends_, boya." Evangeline retorted calmly. "Look for a woman and she'll be sure to point you in the right direction."

_'Kind of like Eva-san, only she never got that far.' _She heard Chachazero quip faintly in the background.

_"Zero-chan, keep it down a little." _Negi whispered to his familiar, but it was too late to fix it by then. Evangeline had heard just about enough from the sadistic puppet for the day.

"Well, I think I helped you enough!" The chibi-vampire yelled through the receiver, doing her best not to crush the phone in her hand. "God speed, boya. You'll need it!" And with that she slammed the phone onto it's charging dock. She whipped away from the offending object quickly to find Chachamaru standing behind her with a rather cold look in her eyes. Of course, you would have to be Negi or Hakase to catch it because they were just about the only people who really cared enough to study the gynoid's expressions.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked with a sigh, looking up at Chachamaru's face with a hand on her hip. It really wasn't a mystery to the vampiress just what the gynoid wanted. She may not have been one to study her emotions, but Evangeline knew very well what were her _wants_. Negi usually seemed to be at the top of that list, soon to be promoted to the gynoid's _needs_ list.

"That was Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Yeah."

"Did he not ask for me?" The hope in Chachamaru's voice was well hidden.

"He didn't have time." Evangeline offered her the vague response before brushing past her and heading for the door of the house to leave. She was in the mood to play some _'Go'_ and vent some of the steam that was building up in her chest. Chachamaru heard her mutter something about the young magi on her way out, something about a craving that was beginning to bother her.

Putting the thoughts of her mistress aside, Chachamaru simply stared at the phone with her hands folded along her lap.

_...and she waited._

* * *

Negi stared at the phone blankly before turning his head ever so slowly at Chachazero. "She hung up..."

The puppet cackled, "Think I might've gotten her a little angry?"

"I don't think there's really a point in answering that question." Negi replied sarcastically before he dialed the number in another attempt to reach his master. "I hope she picks up. She isn't really planning on leaving me with this much information, is she?" A small voice in the back of his head was telling him that she probably was, but the stubborn part of his mind agreed. Wait, wait...what?

"She'll ignore us, you know." Chachazero told him with a little wave of her hand.

"No words from the traitor." Negi responded to her words. Chachazero simply rolled her eyes at her master as he waited on the line for the vampiress to answer his call. She spent more than enough time with Evangeline McDowell to know how to get on her nerves. She perfected it to an art, and a look back on _'Eva 101' _clearly stated that the vampiress would now be in no mood to do anybody favors, even if that someone happened to be her disciple, who she had more feelings for than she would ever admit to. That, my friend, was saying something, however, one would have to wonder, _if she had been capable_, what kind of expression would have popped up on the puppet's face when Negi breathed out the words, _"Thank god."_

This was incredible...unbelievable, actually. _Eva really decided to pick up?! _Chachazero suddenly had a good grip on the young man's shirt as her little, blood stained world was given a sudden jerk. _Of all the things that could bring upon the apocalypse-_

"Hi, Chachamaru." Negi's words set the puppet's world back in order.

_Oh, never mind. It's HER..._ The sadistic puppet relaxed and slumped over on his chest. _...Why'd she have to answer the phone?_

_"Negi-kun, you've exceeded the acceptable number of days between each call." _The gynoid began, her tone holding a slight hint of unpleasantness. _"I would appreciate it if you kept me updated more often. You've caused me an unnecessary degree of worry."_

Negi sweat dropped at her words. An irritated gynoid usually led to a rocket punch, something that the young magi had come to know in his years with Chachamaru. He just hoped she wasn't taking note of how many she owed him or he wasn't going to be able to work up the courage to return. Those hurt! "I'm really sorry if I caused you any sort of stress, Chachamaru!" _Although I'm a little curious about how she could ever be stressed out. _"I've been on the run a lot lately, and I don't think that will change anytime soon."

_"Trouble, I see...I cannot say that I had not foreseen this."_

"I figured you would say something like that." Negi massaged the back of his neck sheepishly, ignoring the way Chachazero started tapping his chest with her fingers, staring at him without so much as a blink. It was enough to give someone goosebumps. "By the way, is Eva there?"

_"The mistress left to attend her usual 'Go' club gatherings. She didn't appear to be in the mood for talk when she took her leave." _There was a purposeful pause from the gynoid before she added on, _"My assumption is that you may have been the cause for that."_

"Yeah...sort of." The magister replied sheepishly, heaving a sigh after his reply. Well, it looked as though he was going to be wandering on his own from this point. Staying around this town any longer would only put his well being in danger. The mistress was far more active in the evening, so he couldn't linger around any longer or she would manage to pin point his location much easier. The chances of him getting away from her a second time now that she was aware of his blood's unique chemical effects were rather slim, and the idea of being her personal squeaky toy wasn't very appealing. Say what you will, you didn't experience what he did, and if you did...well...everyone has their own opinion. "So that's it, huh? I guess I should have expected as much...I'll call tomorrow, then-"

_CHANCE!_

_"I would be more than willing to serve as an informant for you, Negi-kun." _Chachamaru caught him quickly before he could bid her farewell. _"While I may not hold the wisdom that the mistress possess in these certain matters I can assure you that my abilities to procure the proper information you require would be of an invaluable service to you. It would be my pleasure to be of some help."_

Negi sat up straight in bed, almost sending his familiar toppling off of him. "Really, Chachamaru?! You'd do that?"

_"For you, there is no need to question the lengths I would go."_ Chachamaru replied, leaving no room for doubt on his part. Her voice did take on a curious tone, though. He wished that he could have been there to see her face as she replied. _"I do require a form of payment, however." _Her final words to him got him to blink in curiosity. He wasn't under the impression that this was some sort of business transaction. Negi would have to admit that this really caught him off guard. He really couldn't think of anything else to say besides-

"Um...so what would you like?" Chachamaru never really asked him of anything, so this was sure to be interesting. He subconsciously reached to pass a finger over the chain that she gave him as a parting gift, the weight of the key hanging at the end becoming more noticeable now that he had the gynoid on his mind. A key...a key...now that it _was_ on his mind, what was it for? Was it for a door? He wasn't sure if Evangeline allowed any of her servants any actual privacy, and it wasn't as though a locked door could keep the chibi-mistress from entering a room so that could definitely be ruled out...unless Chachamaru had some kind of remote shack hidden in the forest that surrounded the cabin, which would have been, sorry to say, a little creepy.

_Er, n-never mind that, for now..._ The young magi sweat dropped, pulling away from his thought flow to listen to his friend.

_"For every time you ask something of me, I would like for you to do me a favor."_ She replied.

"What kind of favors?" He asked curiously.

_"There is no need to ask now. I will have them ready for you when you return." _Chachamaru replied. _"Do you accept my terms? I won't allow you to back out once you've accepted."_

_Well, with the way you're offering your services now, it's making me kind of nervous. _Negi thought, but what did he really have to be afraid of? Chachamaru was the most reasonable individual he'd ever met, and she sure was no Evangeline McDowell. Being in her debt was nothing to be wary, right? What's the most she could ask for? Hm...well, what would she ask for? Er...that was the question, wasn't it? She didn't eat _(Unless Hakase managed to install an entire digestive system within her) _or...she didn't eat. Beyond that the possibilities stretched pretty far. Oh, what the hell.

"Heh. Where's the harm in it?" Negi answered her cheerfully.

_"Answering that question would compromise me."_

"What?" Negi could have sworn he heard her say something, but she said it too quickly for him to make out.

_"Your business is appreciated." _Chachamaru lied. _"Now then, how might I be of service to you?"_

"W-wow..." Negi raised an eyebrow for a moment as a smirk ran along his face. Yes, they were friends, but he didn't expect her to be at his service so quickly. Then again, nevermind that, it was silly. "Um..." For some unexplainable reason he felt a little nervous to answer now that she asked. Hmm, what was it again, "Oh yeah, um, I need to get in contact with one of my father's partners. I'm sure if I do that it would give me an advantage in finding him."

_"That should be simple." _Her response nearly made the young man pump a fist in the air from excitement. For the first time in days things were beginning to look up. Suddenly the fact that he had a maniacal mistress breathing down his neck didn't sound so bad anymore. As long as he was making progress, he was doing something right, but not exactly; the whole bit about the maniacal mistress breathing down his neck...still very bad. _"Will I be able to contact you again through this number?"_

"I think it would be better if I contacted you." Negi replied before something very important came to mind. "By the way, the partners must still be here in this realm. Any contacts beyond the mundane world might be harder for me to find. Until then, I'll do a little searching on my own."

There was some silence over the phone for a moment before Chachamaru responded, _"Would it not be better if you returned? You can head on out again after I gather enough information."_

"That wouldn't be a good idea..." Negi suddenly felt the eyes of a certain dark skinned beauty burning holes into the back of his head. Not only would a sudden return defeat the purpose of things, but the girls were probably still in the mood to shed some blood...he knew Mana might be. "...even if I wanted to, I would only be putting you guys in danger if I did."

_"What was that?" _Chachamaru's voice suddenly sounded a bit tense.

"Sooo, you get to work on that, Chacha-chan!" He cooed to her sweetly much to the disgust of his familiar. "I'll get back to you!"

_-and **CLICK!**_

"We're back in business, Zero-chan." Negi told the puppet cheerfully after he hung up on her younger counterpart. He scooped her up into both of his hands and frowned when she didn't respond to him, simply staring at him with slits that could shoot lasers through the toughest metals. In short, not happy. "Wha-what's the matter, now?" When she still didn't offer him an answer, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Hmm...would this have something to do with Chachamaru?"

"What about that _blow up doll_?" Chachazero asked him in a dispassionate tone of voice.

"...I don't understand why you always have to talk about her like that." Negi chided the puppet. He was pretty sure that she didn't behave this way towards her counter part when she was still Evangeline's familiar, but then again, he hardly saw much of her whenever he trained with the Undying Wizard. "What has she ever done to you...that you haven't pushed her to do, that is..."

The puppet shrugged her shoulders, closing her eyes. "Master Negi, do you know what holds you back most?"

"Hm?" _She changed the subject. Why?_

"That thick skull!" The puppet answered him, flailing her arms like a mad woman. "Tell me, who do you see in your future, huh?"

"Who are you talking about?" Negi blinked a few times. "More importantly, what are you talking about?" He narrowed his eyes at her to emphasize how lost he was with her words, so Chachazero gladly took a moment to show him what she meant, courtesy of a little hand gesture that nearly left the magister speechless. He just forgot who he was dealing with sometimes. Chachazero could easily fall into the category of a blunt object, though she'd probably impale you on her buster sword if she knew that you referred to her in that way.

A blush crept up on his face. "Th-th-that isn't r-really something that I'm, uh, worried about r-right now! There's ther th-things that I should b-be-" He stopped in mid-sentence to tap Chachazero's hands apart. "Would you stop doing that already?!"

"Who's it gonna be?" Chachazero asked, resting her chin in one hand as she eyed him from his grasp. "Eva-san? It's gotta be, right? I mean, why else are you doing all of this for her?"

"Don't you think th-that's reading in on this a little too far?"

Chacazero went on, "Or maybe the captain, right? Long legs, lips, a tight waist. Hm, I've seen the way you look at her stomach sometimes. The girl takes care of herself, eh?" The puppet ran her hands down her neck before stopping them over her chest. "Isn't she one of the girls that ranked in the boob squad?"

"The b-what?! What are you going on about?!"

"I thought you knew." The puppet tapped her fingers on his hand impatiently. "Man, you don't pay attention much, do you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Sakurazaki looks like she's got the hots for you too. I'm sure if you lure her in Konoe would follow right in with her. Any guy would kill for that threeso-"

"That isn't even-"

"Enough?" Chachazero inserted her own word of choice at the end of his sentence. "Well you could always go for those four that came after you back at the campus. I think they were probably planning on taking advantage of you anyway. S'pecially that gymnast. With all of that practice, could you imagi-"

Negi shook his head quickly. "N-Never!"

"Kay."

_That was surprisingly easy. For a second there I was sure she was going to keep on going with this all ni-_

"Cause I'm gonna get to you first." Chachazero told him casually with a wink.

_...nightmares are going to haunt me tonight...

* * *

_"Somehow, I don't recall when my business ever became such a big factor of interest to you, Wilson." A curt statement was made by an irritated, feminine voice from around the corner of the hall that the door to Negi's hotel room happened to be on, which also happened to be the hall that lead out to an overhead view of the lobby, and the stairway leading down to said floor.

"Yeah, well it did when I started noticing one of your worst habits." A masculine voice retorted in a voice that spoke of annoyance on the owner's part, yet there was a noticable hint of caution, almost as though they were doing their best not to overstep their boundaries with the person they were talking to. "And when I saw your eyes on that unfortunate young man after he mistakenly bumped shoulders with you, I knew that you were going to do it again."

"Do _what_ again?" The feminine voice questioned with a hint of feigned artlessness before the two who were engaged in conversation stepped into the hall, side by side.

"Mooching." A tall man with slicked blonde hair, slightly bushy eyebrows and rectangular, rose tinted shades told Katherine Rosenthal as he waved one calloused hand back and forth to keep her attention from wavering. She had a tendency to let her mind wander if she found nothing stimulating about the conversations she was engaged in, which, unfortunately, was most of the time. He was a man of medium build as one could tell by the way his weathered jean jacket fitted over his upper body, or it could have just been the body armor he was wearing underneath. He had a leather strap around the left leg of his cargo jeans, attaching somewhere along his waist, and he walked with a somewhat noticeable limp. Almost everything about the man seemed a little worn despite his youthful appearance, with most of the attention to his features usually being brought to the jagged scar on the bridge of his nose. His name was Wilson Schultheiss, Katherine's closest mate.

"I think you're being a little extreme with your choice of words, pal." The lovely hunter told him with a casual shooing gesture. "I like to think of it as a way of being rewarded for my services to the people. After all, where would they be without me?"

"What have you been doing since before we met up? Just answer me that and I might drop the subject." Wilson tried to persuade her, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. The way he appeared, raising his eyebrows with his shades on made him seem a tad comical. Then again, the woman never did take him seriously when they were off the line of duty, anyway.

"Having a drink at the local pub."

_Wilson sighed, adjusting his shades. She didn't even try to lie..._

"How many?"

"How many what?"

"...Katherine...." He growled. "You do remember the regulations, don't you?"

"Just hold on for a second." She stopped, giving him a rough shove on his side. The man would have run right into one of the hotel doors had he not expected this sort of reaction from her. They had so many of these arguments already that he knew just what to expect from her sort of temper. "Do I look like I can't manage myself?" She snapped at him, gesturing to herself with a hand on her chest. Her partner's shades were the only things keeping her from kicking him in the shin. He couldn't help it when she brought his attention to those...ahem...assets, even if it wasn't intentional.

"Should you be asking me, or your liv-"

_"I guess I'm hoofing it, then." _Wilson and Katherine glanced to their right when someone decided to leave their room, drawing their attention with their musing. Negi shut the door with a sigh and adjusted the strap keeping his staff in place before his heightened senses alerted him of being watched by someone. It wasn't the kind of presence that made him jump, but it was still uncomfortable.

_He looked at them..._

_...They looked back._

_Negi's life must have been at some comedy club doing stand up..._

"...Katherine?" The vampire questioned the unwelcoming sight of his drinking mate. Was she on to him?

The vampire hunter frowned at him, hands on her hips. If there was ever a moment that he wasn't needed it was most certianly now, so why the hell did he have to show his face? Well, time for evasive maneuvers...

"Do I know you?" Katherine did her best to convey the message that _THEY DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER._

Negi's wallet, apparently, did not want to play along. "Um, don't you remember...earlier?"

She glared at him out of Wilson's view as the blonde man started to piece things together. "Perhaps you have me mistaken for someone-URK!"

"Ha, ha."Wilson placed a hand on his partner's shoulder and gripped it with a vengeance. "Not to worry, friend. She remembers you very well." He tapped her forehead with his free hand and grinned at the young magi as a vein bulged on his forehead. "That's just the voice of greed talking to you, but it'll shut up right away...won't it, Kat?"

"Negi..." Katherine narrowed her eyes at him with a frightening smile. _"So good to see you!"_ Negi Springfield, being a young man who found himself in the pleasant company of women on a daily basis, found that he needed no translation for the sugar coated words that left her mouth, but just in case the readers wanted a hint...

_**Translation: **"Closed casket?"

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_

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_**Turning away from the beginning of that wonderful relationship...to bring you an unhealthy one....**_

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The large, dome like chamber was really something out of an old, classic movie, alive with sounds of chatter as all of its occupants stood around in small groups with stories to tell and issues to resolve. They all dressed elegantly in white and black robes with glasses of wine and other sociable drinks in hand. It was all so tame and orderly that one could not help but wonder if all of the people were somehow hanging by strings attached to their heads, doing only as the unseen puppet master willed them to. The stage was set, circular tables set all around the chamber decorated with colorful flower arrangements, with chairs surrounding each one of them to accommodate the standing guests should they see fit to pull away from their fellow conspirers. A bar was stationed at the far left side of the chamber with servants awaiting the orders of any thirsty nobles, and to the far right were the gourmet dishes set upon a long table that practically stretched from both ends of the room with chefs tending to all of them. The actors were present, Kotaro Inugami finding himself playing one of their roles much to his chagrin and building anxiety. All that was left was for the show to go on, and his dear mother was more than pleased to make that happen.

"Must you sit like that?" Kotaro looked beside him to find Tomoko directing a malign glare at him. He half expected her to break her charming illusion once more to strangle him in plain sight, but the smile that crossed her lips had an even greater effect than that. It was expressions like the one she had on now that sent chills down his spine. It made him wonder just what she was scheming in that devils workshop that she so inappropriately called a _mind_. "How do you expect to win my father's favor if you continue to behave like some sort of knave?"

Kotaro blinked. "...A what?"

His fiance stared at him for a moment before translating, "A bad man."

Kotaro rolled his eyes. "What makes you think that I want your old man's approval?" He crossed his arms, glaring at her with daggers in his eyes. "And when did I ever say that I wanted to marry you in the first place? Have you lost your mind, woman?"

"First of all," The illusion had finally cracked again as she reached out for a handful of his robe to pull him towards her, "You will not refer to me as _'woman'_. I have a name, and you'll address me by it-," she smirked at him in a concupiscent manner before she added, "-lovingly, no less."

"Who do you think you are?" Kotaro gripped the wrist of the hand that held him, glaring at her narrowly.

_"I'm the girl that you left behind." _Tomoko's tone suddenly plunged into a very dark place. It was the kind of place that certain people went to when they weren't in the mood for an argument. You didn't mess with those certain people, by the way. "I've turned down every money grubbing suitor that tried to take my hand in marriage and even a few who genuinely had affections for me when I had finally come of age. I've stomped on every given opportunity of being a spoiled little 'princess', as you see fit to call me, in order to train under the arts and become more like a member of your family, and for _what..._?"

_Kotaro swallowed hard, wanting very badly to go to his happy place sometime soon. Preferably now, while he still had a firm grip over those defining jewels that made him the healthy young man that he was..._

"-Just so you can return one day and tell me, _screw you?_" The lovely young woman's face shifted from downright demented to purely angelic at that snap of a finger. Of course, now one of her claws happened to be poking his chest through the cut of his robe and it was, needless to say, uncomfortable. "Make no mistake, _dear_. You will have my happy ending..."

Kotaro opened his mouth to reply, but that was all he was capable of at that moment, staring into the eyes of his lovely fiance, and make no mistake, she was lovely...

Kanako glanced over her shoulder from afar to check on her brother's behavior and gasped softly when she saw the scene unfold. Dismissing the young man that was doing his best to hold a conversation with her, she tapped Caska on the shoulder to get her attention. Her tomboyish sister pulled her wine glass away from her lips in response and turned her head slowly to regard her. Her attitude stemmed from the fact that she had to be present for the banquet wearing a dress of all things. Her pride just wouldn't let her accept this punishment.

"What?" Caska asked with displeasure.

Ignoring her sister's rude response, Kanako gestured to the young couple sitting at the table in the distance. She managed to catch them just as Kotaro let his mouth hang open in fear. "They seem to be getting along well, don't you think." For once, she appeared to be pleased with her younger brother.

"Are you sure that isn't one sided?" Caska asked sarcastically, watching how Kotaro's ears drooped.

"Ugh." Kanako grunted with disgust at her sister's words. "Why ruin the image like that? Just because you're not doing too well with Kamui doesn't mean-"

Caska scowled, "Do you pay any attention to your brother's feelings at all?"

"What is that supposed to..." Kanako trailed off when she saw that their mother had begun to approach them. _"Later..."_ She hissed through her teeth, putting their little argument on hold.

"Ladies," Yuzuki Inugami stepped in with her ever present smile, "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all, mother." Kanako quickly replied with a bow of her head.

"All sunshine and pups, here." Caska answered with a fake grin.

"Lovely." Their mother said pleasantly. "Your older sister will be present soon. Be sure to greet her."

"Yes, mother." Kanako bowed again.

"Ma'am." Caska did a little salute, eliciting a glare from their mother before she turned away from them and went off to join another group of elders across the room. If there was one thing all of Yuzuki's children would have to admit about her, it was her ability to weave a masterpiece, and all of the rest of the nobles were practically getting caught in her masterful threads.

"Would it kill you to respect your own mother?" Kanako berated her sister.

"I won't take my chances finding out." Caska flashed her a smile before walking off to the table Kotaro and Tomo were sitting at. Kanako could only watch her walk off and fume.

_Tap--Tap_

Kotaro looked over his shoulder absently to find Caska hovering over him. Tomoko, realizing that something caught her beloved's attention looked over her own shoulder to regard her future sister-in-law. "Hey there, lil' bro. How goes your bonding?"

_Kotaro blinked an SOS._

"Great." Caska slapped his shoulder roughly, "I'm proud of you. Now, putting that aside for the moment, I just wanted to give you the heads up. Junko is coming."

Kotaro suddenly sucked in a belly full of air.

"I knew you'd be excited." The older Inugami smiled deviously. "Well, don't be a stranger." And with that she gave him a light pat on the head and proceeded to embark on her journey towards the bar for the elixir of life. The only thing that stood before her and enlightenment was an ocean full of sharks and piranhas, and, if she was unlucky, her own fiance. Then, almost as if on cue, Kamui entered the room through the entrance followed by his brother and Junko Inugami. Their eyes met and the chase was suddenly on.

"Shit." Caska hissed before she did her best to disappear in the mass of nobles. Kamui followed right on with a smirk.

Kotaro suddenly wished he had done the same thing once his fiance politely waved at his older sister, Junko, drawing her attention to the both of them in the process. The eldest of Yuzuki's children offered Tomoko a nod of acknowledgment in return with a small smile as she brushed two long bangs away from her right eye, however, that melted away when her silver eyes fell upon Kotaro. The color immediately drained from her face, almost as if she had been touched by a ghost. What...was...he...doing...here?

_Dammit, dammit, dammit..._ The young dog demon inwardly chanted once his older sister whispered something in her husband's ear before she turned on him again and made a straight bee-line for his current position. The woman was so focused on reaching him that she didn't even pay her own mother any mind when she called to her.

"Kotaro." Junko called his attention softly, placing one clawed hand on his shoulder since he turned his back on her when he saw her coming for him. Knowing that ignoring her would only make things worse for him in the long run, Kotaro sighed and twisted his upper body around so he could see her. Time away didn't change her appearance in the least. Despite the fact that Yuzuki married her off to that asshole that Ryota called a son, he could still see that she retained her spirit, though given his current situation that could work against him. She was a tall woman, slender body, and legs that were made for the runway. Her spiked hair feathered around her face gracefully, spreading in all direction from the back fo her head. She was every way that he remembered her.

"Sis..." His words were spoken genuine and with the slightest hint of affection, something that was absent whenever he addressed his other two sisters. A long absence followed their exchange as Junko took a moment to swallow. It wasn't until Tomo started to look between them that the woman finally decided to say something.

"...I thought we'd never see each other again after you disappeared," Junko paused in a manner that made her brother's fiance get the impression that she was doing her best to bite something back. Something was up, "...but here you are...just sitting around like...a day has not passed that you and I have embraced one another."

_This still feels a little off._ Tomoko thought suspiciously. For a woman who has been known to speak so fondly of her little brother, this reunion felt a little down played...

Junko, noticing the inquisitive look that the elder's daughter was directing at her, gripped her brother's shoulder a little tighter and forced him to stand up, saying, "Kotaro, I would like to speak with you privately." By the looks of the tears stinging the young man's eyes, her grip must have been pretty painful because they sure weren't tears of joy. Kotaro, offering no sort of protest to her capture, oddly enough, allowed himself to be taken away. His sister took long strides to the doorway, doing her best not to draw any more attention to the both of them, however, all was going smoothly until-

_"Junko,"_ Yuzuki stepped in their way with her hands held at her lap, and a pleasant smile on her face, "What is going on? Did you not hear me calling for you earlier?"

The eldest of her children directed an icy glare at her, replying, "Mother, just a moment ago I discovered that my brother had returned after a long absence. Now, please step out of my way. I would like to have a talk with him in private." Not waiting for a response, she made a move to walk around her, but their mother stepped in the way yet again, the pleasant look on her face melting away for an expression far more suitable for the matriarchal authoritarian.

"Is it so pressing?" Yuzuki asked. "There are more important things that need your attention at the moment."

"_What_ could be _more_ pressing than my own _brother_?" Junko retorted, looking to her mother narrowly. She waited patiently for the elder Inugami to open her mouth before ending the confrontation, hissing, "I won't allow him to be another chess piece." Satisfied with the look on her mother's face, Junko brushed past her feeling herself walk a little prouder.

**Well, now that that's over...**

_**"ACK!"**_ Kotaro nearly bit his tongue when Junko grabbed him by the collar with both hands and slammed him up against the wall. The look of fury that his lovely sister had on her face brought even more panic to his heart than Chizuru's impish smiles. Despite that, he still wanted to get a say in this meeting. "Hcwell..." Kotaro choked in a high pitched voice. "...nfice tshoo scee youz too, shis."

"Kotaro," Junko's voice rose as she bit her bottom lip in anger, "I'm not going to take any bullshit from you right now, so hold it. I mean it, kid. Throw something else at me and I'll give that spoiled girl a reason to think twice about wanting to marry you." When Kotaro started turning red, she let go of him and allowed him to gasp for breath before placing one hand against his chest and pinning him to the wall. _"Now, what the hell are you doing back here?"_

Kotaro did his best to stare her in the eyes. "I was hoping-"

"Hoping?" Junko cut him off incredulously. "You returned here with hope? Hope for what? Hope that, that woman who claims to be our mother would change?!" Her eyes sharped upon him dangerously as a cynical smile crossed her lips twistedly. "Wait, no, don't tell me...you were hoping that she would let you continue training under her, weren't you?" She waited for an answer, demanding, "Yes?!"

_Kotaro nodded his head quickly._

"I figured." The intensity in her voice went cold, dropping too quickly much to her little brother's discomfort. "Well now, looks like all you managed to do was get caught in the family matters again, and to make things even messier, Tomoko has seen you." Junko leaned in so that her face was only an inch away from Kotaro's. "Do you realize what that means?"

"...Wha..." Kotaro cleared his throat. "What? What does it mean?"

"You're fucked." The lovely dog demon smiled maliciously. "That girl almost broke to pieces when you left. She would have ran off into that snow storm after you if it wasn't for me, kid. Oh yeah, it was a huge mess after you went off and disappeared. I don't think I was able to get much sleep for an entire week because I kept on thinking that she was leave her room in the middle of the night and kill herself out there, and here's the cherry on top of it all..." Her voice got eerily low. "She almost got passed it. She was just about to get over you, and...I find you sitting with her at a table a month later."

Kotaro, once again, was at a loss for words. _"WOW."_ Was all the young man to mouth as his brain nearly imploded.

"Exactly." Junko nodded before a tear came to her right eye, catching her brother off guard again for about the fourth time in the time span of twenty minutes at most. "We spoke about this before you left, stupid. I told you never to...look back..." Her voice started cracking and she let her head fall forward onto his chest before crying audibly. "D-Do you even realize how much it killed me to just let you leave? You're the closest thing to family that I've got, but I knew it was the only way to let you live a life of your own, and...a-and your dumb ass just had to return!"

"Junko," Kotaro tried to put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her but she nearly clawed his neck.

"No! I should kill you myself so I can just end my own misery!"

"U-Um, lets not do that..."

"You better leave this place!" Junko gripped him by the collar again and lifted him up off the floor.

"I-I'm d-doin' my best to plan an escape." Kotaro assured her nervously.

"And you better take _her_ with you this time, too!"

Kotaro blinked a few times, "H-Her? Her? Who's her?"

Junko scowled at him frighteningly. "Your fiance!"

_**"WHAT?!"

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**_Mahora Campus, cause we've got issues, too, jerk face...._**

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Welcome to some random cafe in the city of Mahora. Here students came to hang out, away from campus and _'the responsibilities of being a student / that really annoying roommate that wants to become a little more than friends, but you're just not feeling it and want them to stop before you come out and hurt their feelings'_. They came here to get a job for a little money on the side every weekend, have an excuse to get out with some friends or that cute crush that looks at them from across the student cafe, and sometimes they even came here to plan secret meetings because Takamichi-sensei had the rest of the magical teachers on campus on the look out for any weird operations that involved some of the students leaving to embark on a mission to find their cute, nocturnal teacher, dammit. Did he realize how little screen time they'd been getting since the main character blew the scene? It was getting kind of lonely...oh...and they missed him a lot, too.

Asuna, Konoka, Kaede, Ku-Fei, and Kazumi waved at Yue, Nodoka, and Haruna when they walked in through the cafe entrance, eyes darting around for a glimpse of them. The librarians perked up at the sight of their classmates and quickly took a seat in the both across from them. Readers wondering why Konoka Konoe was around, sans Setsuna Sakurazaki, should know that the lovely swordsman was against the whole idea of the meeting and decided not to join in, even going so far as to discourage them from going on with it because it would technically be against Negi's wishes for her to be cool with that. Makie was currently busy at gymnastic practice, The Dekopin Rocket was having a jam session, Akira was practicing her laps at the pool, Zazie, Misora and Hakase were off doing their own thing, the twins were supposed to be present _(probably catching up as I type)_, Ayaka and Chisame were unreachable, and Sayo was there, too, but I forget to type her into scenes sometimes cause she's invisible. Takane and Mei didn't count because they were already doing some planning of their own, and Evangeline and Chachamaru's positions on the subject were...complicated, naturally.

Asuna tapped her foot feverishly as her eyes darted from the door of the cafe to the window and back. "Where the heck are they?" She asked out loud, her agitation stemming from the twins' inability to keep on schedule. "Takamichi is going to get pretty suspicious when he realizes that a large group of our class suddenly disappeared from the campus."

"We'll start without them." Kazumi told the magic canceler. "They don't necessarily have to listen to everything."

"So what is this meeting about?" Yue asked, moving the divider on the table side to side to amuse herself.

Nodoka leaned forward, her head poking out from behind the short librarian's shoulder. "Does it have anything to do with Negi-kun?"

"Got that right." Kazumi replied with a wink.

"Asuna and I have already disussed the traveling plans with the class president." Kaede informed them. "Naturally, she supported the idea to track him down _one hundred percent_. She'll be handling things as far as that goes."

"Awesome!" Haruna grinned excitedly. "We're finally going to go out and drag our man back!"

"That's right!" Konoka nodded zealously, flames crackling in her eyes fiercely. "He's going down." Her choice of words made Asuna cringe.

"Um, I don't think we're going that far, Konoka."

"I don't have time to bleed." Konoka improvised aftar a pause.

"If you say so." Asuna gave up.

"Setsuna-san is coming along, right?" Yue suddenly asked, realizing that she was missing from the group.

_Silence...._

"Well...about that..." Asuna went on awkwardly.

"She isn't coming." Konoka answered with a straight face.

"Unfortunate, but true." Kaede said with a nod. "We haven't confronted Mana about it yet."

"...Could be risky." Ku-Fei said, clearly not feeling to good with the idea of infomring the lovely marksman about their plans. From what Setsuna told her and Kaede, Negi Springfield was a testy subject around the lovely priestess. With Mana there was no teeling how she would react. Years of concealing her true nature under a chilling grin kept her fellow classmates from fully understanding how the gears in her mind meshed.

"Yes, but we have no idea what Negi-kun has gotten himself into. Should the time come that we're forced to defend ourselves, we'll need some back up."

"I no _-ahem-_ I don't doubt your words, but...Mana?" Ku-Fei still didn't feel very comfortable.

"She has come to our aid before." Kaede argued.

"But she's also gone up against us, too." Asuna provided a counter point. "Did the festival two years ago slip your mind already? Pay her the right amount, and she probably wouldn't think twice about kicking a sick puppy." Her words made Nodoka whimper at the thought, but past experiences with the mercenary proved such cruel words to be true.

"Problem solved, then." The kunoichi smirked like a fox. "We'll pay her."

_"There are some things that money can't buy."_

"_Mastercard_?" Konoka questioned, quirking a brow.

Kaede and the rest of the girls perked up at the unexpected response. They all looked a each other with expectant looks, waiting for someone to fess up for that discouraging reply. When that didn't work they all looked to the entrance of the cafe to find Fuka and Fumika standing there with nervous expressions on their pale faces. It wasn't until they realized that there was someone standing behind the two of them that they immediately understood what was going on. The twins were followed...

"Amateurs." The person behind the two girls forced them to step forward so they could enter. "You could have been more careful about how you orchestrated this meeting." Mana Tatsumiya unbuttoned her white jacket and parted both sides so that her inner pockets were more easily accessible.

"Captain..." Kaede frowned at the sight of her. "By the sound of things you aren't just dropping by for a pastry, are you?"

"You've been found out." The lovely marksman informed them just as Setsuna and Chachamaru walked in and assumed there places at the sides of both twins. The swordsman was wearing a suit similar to Tatsumiya's signature battle uniform. Chachamaru simply had on a white dress shirt and black tie accompanied by a black mini skirt and same color stockings. She had decided to come in a younger body, it would have seemed, her hair done in pigtails bound by two black bows.

Asuna gasped at the sight of the crow demon. "Setsuna...did you...?"

"Seruhiko-sensei is to blame for your cover being blown." Chachamaru cleared up for the red-head."His suspicions appear to have been spot on."

Ku-Fei rose up from her seat, "But why, Setsuna-san? Why you with Mana?"

"Takahata-sensei had the three of us hired to thwart any plans you might have to leave campus, or the country for that matter."

"That still doesn't explain this betrayal!" Nodoka boldly cried out. "Negi-kun might need us!"

Setsuna held out a hand to quiet her. "I made a promise to him. I intend to keep it."

"He doesn't need all of you doting on him." said Mana. "He's a big boy now."

"_You..._"

"No." Kaede placed a hand on Asuna's shoulder before the magical sword wielder could do something as foolish as to rush the lovely marksman. If she still had a hard time with Setsuna during mere training sessions, then there was no hope of her going up against Mana. The shrine preistess was leagues far above her at her current level, and it would take a significant amount of skill to take her on if the red-head's power alone could not back her up.

_"Well then, if you're all done here I'll ask that you all please return to campus, ladies."_

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_**She would endure all forms of pain and torture if it would bring her the pleasure of being reunited with him again. She would bow down to the woman who she loathed if it would allow her to be held in the arms of the master she adored. Words of ridicule and discouragement compared to nothing in her mind if it would eventually allow her to hear words of tenderness and praise from the one who left her behind. To Takane Goodman there was nothing that would stop her from seeing Negi Springfield again, but death itself, and seeing as how she had managed more than a week of Evangeline McDowell's suicidal training regiment so far, perhaps even death would falter before her determination. It was all mind over matter...

"Although my body would beg to differ...." The blonde magistress groaned throatily, falling onto her back. About half of an hour must have passed since she returned from the dark mistress's residence. Now she was laying across the slanted roof of the dorm building that her and Mei were assigned to by the headmaster, following along in her usual post training ritual of basking in the moonlight motionlessly. A single twitch from her pinky would be enough to have her entire arm spasm in pain, and curling forward to sit up was a big mistake that usually left her feeling as though someone was trying to rip through her stomach, crying out _'FREEDOM!' _at the top of their lungs_._ Then again, there were times when she expected _'her'_ to pull of such a grotesque act; the dark angel that stared back at Takane Goodman from her seat on the throne within the deepest reaches of her soul.

_"You give me such morbid descriptions, you know that?" _Dark Takane spoke from deep within.

"They fit you well." Takane quipped.

_"Now, now. There's no need for such open hostility."_

"I'd rather not have a conversation with you right now."

_"You should know better than to try and ignore me. I'll just bother you until you respond."_

"Sometimes I regret being turned." Takane grumbled. "You're like a really bad roommate."

_"Oh, would you quit whining? That isn't the type of attitude that will bring us closer to master's heart."_

"And what would you know about getting closer to his heart? All you do is try to murder him." The blonde magistress retorted before looking to her left side and flinching. Sometime during their conversation Dark Takane decided to come out and join her on the roof in her spiritual form. Her spiritual appearance had gradually shifted since her first time appearing before Takane. Now her platinum hair looked slightly disheveled, overshadowing her glowing, crimson eyes and her skin was much paler. The one thing that had not changed were the clothes that she chose to appear with. She still retained the same Ursula campus uniform with the nurse cap, though one could argue that it was a much darker version with stitched patches and tears in the most inappropriate places. It unsettled the blonde magistress to think that her soul had such a chilling appearance. What was that saying about her? Would there be even darker side effects as the years passed? Was there more to becoming a vampire than having her own personal, sadistic tormentor? Could she switch with someone?

_"I heard that."_

"I was hoping you would." Takane quipped to her dark self.

**_"ONESAN!"_** Both Takanes flinched at Mei's call. It came from down below.

The vampiress blinked a few times, trying to find out how she would go about doing this. Sure, just staying up here would keep her from having to suffer the worst pain in her life, but she couldn't ignore Mei forever. The girl tended to be pretty touchy whenever she didn't pay attention to her. She figured she just had some kind of sister complex. _(Read Love Hina for more) _When Mei called out to her again the blond magistress licked her lips and shrugged her shoulders before-

**_PAIN! OH GOD, THE PAIN! WHY, OH, WHY WAS IT SO DAMN PAINFUL? EVER PUT OFF WORKING OUT FOR ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE COMING BACK ON THE WEEKEND AND THINKING TO YOURSELF, '_**_I'm gonna be feelin' sore in the morning' **?! IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT! IT WAS-ARRGH! STOMACH MUSCLES SCREAMING-CONTRACTING-PLEASE JUST END IT ALREA-**_

"Oh, that wasn't so bad..." Takane sighed, tears streaming down her eyes...until she realized that all of that happened after just sitting up. She looked to the side to see how Dark Takane was doing to find her unconscious. Well, that would shut her up for a while.

Ok...

....Ok...

........Round Two......

Curl the legs in...and....and..._**GET U-**_

"Onesan?" Mei cocked her head to the side when she heard some whimpering coming from the roof. "...Are you alright?"

_**

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To Be Continued...**_

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_The whole concept of fate is something that I'm not particularly fond of although the people I'm surrounded with on a daily basis swears that everything happens for a reason and that everyone has their own day to die and so on, Well, ironically I find that I'm applying that concept to this story in some subconscious manner...eh, whatever._

_Anywayz, Negi Springfield has met with Katherine Rosenthal, and so far there hasn't been any fireworks at all...because she and her fellow hunters haven't met the young man's newest aquaintance. Apparently, a shoot out with a Dark mistress on a moving truck can force people to make life altering decisions. Meanwhile at Mahora things finally start to get very personal as the girls try to fight their way off the campus. Things can escalate into a personal war rather quickly though when you're up against three of the most frightening students on campus....Girl Fight?_

_Chap. Notes: _

_1) Originally that small Takane segment above us was a full blown 6k words when I first started working on this chapter. In fact it was quite the opposite in regard to the light tone that I used. One example, up there Takane and her alter ego appear to tolerate each other to the point of mere hurtful teasing. Well, in the original version I had them loathe each other to the point that her dark ego declared that she would simply destroy her from the inside and take the body for herself. (Said with a smile.) Oh yeah, and I let an important turn point for Mei slip out, but I decided to leave it for a much later chapter.  
_

_2) Thought that it was weird that I started the chapter with Negi and Katherine knowing each other off the bat? Yeah, well if you read the large introduction I had planned out for her on my second run through of the chapter you would probably understand. It pretty much consisted of,_

_1- A private flashback._

_2- Her fateful encounter with Negi_

_3- A sequence involving the loss of her money._

_4- Her meeting Negi sitting outside the bar on one of the public benches._

_5- Her wicked persuasion and so on. While it fleshes her out rather well I figured it would be too much._

_3) The Mana scene was much longer, too. By then I figured that I was giving her too much screen time. Oh yeah, that white jacket she was wearing in the cafe; check the Christmas chap. Those holiday chapters actually do tie in with the main series in different ways. Take the Chisame section in the valentines chap, which turned so many heads. Well, I said that I would eventually reveal what happened in the two year period back in chapter one, and if you noticed I threw in some hints that her relationship with Negi was pretty deep starting in the first chap, as well as some growing affection in the final chapters of the previous series. (Increased effort in class, sudden companionship, and so on.) Why else would she have been so demanding of his whereabouts from Setsuna (Going so far as to walk up to her and confront her. Notice that everyone else was rooted to their seats?) in the fifth chapter? No one else found that odd? Oh, well. I'll illustrate that scene in the next holiday special. Should be fun...  


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Take Care**,**

**_Traingham..._****  
**


	12. Happy Feelings Gone

Disclaimer: _Owning Negima or any of its awesome characters sure would be cool....yeah...notice that I'm implying something?_

_**Fang Vice addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

**_Chapter Ten: Quare Denego Mihi Iucunditas_**

_By Traingham

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Once upon a time there was a young magister by the name of Negi Springfield, quite the prodigy many would say as he had achievements under his belt that many others his age couldn't brag about. He was blessed with the looks, the charm, and the wit that made the next guy want to come up from behind him in a dark alley and deliver righteous justice. Of course, the possibility of that ever happening was non-existent unless that certain individual didn't mind squaring off against the same young man that happened to be _'Dark Evangel's'_ one and only true disciple. Why, the very idea was something that would have the common magister smile, and shy away from. Now, you'd probably sit back and think that Negi had it all set, right? Well, considering what you have read thus far, you're shaking your head, and I don't blame you. What Negi lacked above all things was foresight in regard to certain matters, which, unfortunately enough, were the most important of matters. You see, once upon a time Negi Springfield had a talk with a young woman by the name of Setsuna Sakurazaki. This talk lead our main character to question whether his efforts to free his mistress from her imprisonment would actually lead him to the answers that he was searching for, and so, he was led to doubt. Doubt lead mister Springfield to a rather startling conclusion: Perhaps his answers lied somewhere else within the far reaches of the world beyond Mahora Campus.

_A young Chao Lingshen smirks at the reader deviously._

Quite a few of our hero's closest friends didn't really approve of this conclusion, including Mistress McDowell, the woman that would supposedly benefit from this adventure. Reasons, you ask? Why, obstacles, obstacles, and more obstacles. Dark mistresses, opposing mages, and the unforeseen threads that fate is quite infamous for binding us with. Unfortunately, Negi can be quite stubborn when he sets his mind towards a goal, and as you would have guessed, he set off on his quest without considering the consequences of his actions. His departure set off a chain of events that would change the care free atmosphere of Mahora, and it all started with Kotaro Inugami.

_Young Chao flips through her record book._

Not exactly a popular player in this tale, that one, but the role he plays does have some noteworthy points. The situation in Mahora, however, truly comes to a pivotal point in the upcoming battle that takes place between two sides within the same family. Will the girls prevail in their plan to seek out their precious teacher, or will Negi Springfield's leading ladies succeed in carrying out his wish to keep them from pursuing him? Ah, but do our worries really lie upon the success of their operation, or within the sticky web that mister Springfield has managed to trap himself in? I wonder....

_"Chao-chan, what are you doing?" A tall female figure stands at the door to the little girl's room._

_"....Reading, mama."_

_"That's fine. It really is, but how long do you expect to put off dinner?"_

_"I'm getting to a really good par-"_

_"We're having carrots. Your favorite."_

_"C-Carrots? I-I hate carrots!"_

_"Of course, you'll still eat them."_

_"No I won't."_

_"Yes you will."_

_"Nu-uh."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"B-but-"_

_"Eat them."_

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Mahora Campus, our library has a health insurance policy...**_

_**------------------------------------------------------**_

Asuna Kagurazaka walked through her dimly lit dorm room as quickly and quietly as she could, sporting the most comfortable clothes she could find. She adjusted the collar of her red jogging jacket as she stopped behind her roommate, Konoka Konoe. The bubbly healer was on her knees, still within the process of packing her traveling bag for the long trip ahead of them to Wales. Despite the intense confrontation that the girls had with their latest opposition to the search operation, they weren't willing to give in so easily, even if it technically meant that they were going to be up against some rather intimidating forces. The thought made Asuna bite her lip with trepidation. Sure, she was ready and willing to throw down with Mana Tatsumiya, yesterday, when her and the other girls were confronted by the lovely marksman, but now that the red head was thinking with a bit of rationality, the idea didn't seem so hot anymore. If that wasn't enough, Chachamaru and Setsuna just had to accompany her as partners. Setsuna was definitely not a pushover by any means, and Chachamaru switching from house maid to action girl mode was something out of an action film.

_I'd rather fight with angry, chainsaw spitting, pit bulls. _Asuna looked to the ceiling as that thought briefly passed. Sometimes the absurdity of her thoughts really made her wonder. Well, another time. Right now she just had to focus her worries on getting Konoka off campus without any sort of intervention. A talk with some of the other girls that were part of the operation put her worries to rest on how they were doing. Kaede and the others were all set. "Oi!"

Konoka flinched when her friend called her attention without warning. "Y-yes?" The young Konoe turned her head and upper body slowly to regard her dorm mate.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I just need to finish packing!"

Asuna crossed her arms. "Well, don't pack your whole room in there!"

"Okay, okay!" The girl quickly exchanged looks between two of her favorite brushes before throwing one of them over her shoulder to pack the one she wanted to take along. Following a quick zip after some fumbling with the small handles that hung limply from the silver zippers, Konoka was up on her feet in no time.

_She faked one of her care free smiles._

"Let's go, then!" Her little facade did nothing to fool Asuna in the slightest. Her and Konoka had been together, side by side, against numerous odds since their beloved teacher got them involved in his twisted world, but Setsuna was never one of them. Now, where as Setsuna would usually be with them, she was standing in their way. Naturally, this was going to throw a few complications in the mix. Honestly, the sort of things that she had to experience on most of her off days had absolutely no place outside of those mangas she always flipped through whenever she walked into the local bookstore...with the nice cafe in the corner.

"Don't worry, Konoka." Asuna winked at her friend with a thumb up to ease her. "We're gonna get through this."

"...I know." The girl replied, bowing her head somewhat. "It just feels wrong."

"Ignore the feeling." Asuna told her, hefting her traveling sack over her shoulder. "It'll only hold you back." She peered at her watch and tossed her chin in the direction of the door to get Konoka moving. "Lets get going before the class rep decides to leave us behind!"

"R-Right!" Konoka nodded quickly in response, a determined look gracing her innocent features as she did. Asuna turned off the light in their small living and walked to the door before peering through the peek hole for any unwanted visitors in the hallway. With no shadows present on the floor, Asuna was far from relaxed. She wasn't about to go letting her guard down, not with _them_ on the look out. She looked over her shoulder at her friend, the assuring smile that was present on her face moments ago gone.

"No turning back from here...." Asuna unlocked the door cautiously, doing her best not to let the click echo outside in the hall. She pulled it open, cringing at the low creek that squealed from its hinges, and took a moment to gather her wits.

_Game Time._

"Light feet!" Asuna instructed in a whisper and took her leave of the dorm, moving out into the hall quickly. Konoka followed the example laid out for her and did the same, pulling the door handle with her to make sure that the door closed behind her. She glanced over her shoulder out of nervous reflex when the door slammed and returned her attention to what was in front of her to see Asuna getting farther away, her traveling sack bouncing side to side with each step she took in her run. The red head pushed the door open with her free hand and the evening breeze invaded the hall, hitting Konoka's face. The tingle against her skin was all that was needed for the adrenaline to get released into her blood stream. The night sky was suddenly above her head, and her hair was gliding behind her like a gleaming cape as their run had become a full out sprint.

_'Hefh, Hefh, Hefh, Hefh, Hefh.'_ Konoka paced her breath a best she could as they made it out into the open space of the campus. The tree lined path away from the dorm building was behind them, along with what could have been considered the easy part. Almost as if to make that message clear, Konoka saw Asuna's head shoot up in the direction of something above them. There was a strong breeze and the healer could swear that she heard a knife cutting through the wind in her direction.

...._Or it could have just been Setsuna making a nose dive for her.  
_

"Konoka!" Asuna cried out. "Dodge it! Quickly!"

"U-Um!" Konoka panicked as she looked to her immediate left to find Setsuna coming her way, fast, and with her hands in position to heft her up in her arms on contact. She did the one thing that felt sensible in that situation. _"Aieee!"_ She threw herself to the grass and the flying swordsman swooped right over her, her wings flapping quickly to right herself before she darted off course.

"Here!" Konoka looked up to see Asuna shaking her hand in her face for her to grab a hold of, and she swung her right hand in reach for the red-head to grasp before she was brought up to her feet quickly. The run resumed, high octane pumping in both girl's engines as they looked up to their right to find Setsuna readying another swoop. This was probably just negative thinking on their part, but something was telling them that this second attempt wasn't going to be as half assed as the first, and wait....what was she doing? W-was she picking up more speed?! Was she unsheathing her sword?!

"Get ready for it!" Asuna cried out.

"F-For what?!" Konoka was still reeling from her desperate dodge to try and make sense of her friend's warning. Her disorientation was only made even worse when Setsuna came down and swooped around them in a blinding circle as her blade cut along the lawn soil. When she flapped her wings to pick up altitude again, she held her sword out in front of her vertically and made a few gestures with her other hand before placing two finger along the tip of her sword. The blade burned brightly and the circle around Asuna and Konoka glowed with a white light before it activated a wind barrier to surround the two of them. It almost seemed like it was the end of the line for them when-

_"Hya!" _Asuna and Konoka jumped back when the deadly end of a large blade sliced right through the strong currents of wind forcing it to dissipate. At the other end of the large sword, or rather, the large shuriken was Kaede dressed in a dark purple long coat with her usual ninja garb underneath. She offered her two friends a smirk before looking up at Setsuna, the end of her long coat billowing with the wind in a cinematic fashion. "Give us a little more credit. Nin, Nin."

"Ojou-sama!" Setsuna wasted no time, going in for a dive to snatch Konoka away before it was too late, but Kaede unclipped an orb-like object from her waist and lifted it in the air before throwing it down to the ground with enough force to cause it to explode. The crow demon predictably found herself flying through a cloud of smoke screen before she popped out on the other side of it to find that no one was there anymore. It was at that moment that the swordsman really began to wonder where ninjas went whenever they used one of those annoying bombs. Luckily for her a gunshot, courtesy of a certain gun-for-hire, alerted her of Kaede's position. A purple blur running through the campus field with two other blurs in tow was a pretty good give away.

"Urgm." Asuna pressed her hand against her mouth as she felt the dinner she had hours ago begin to start an up rise in her stomach. The speed that Kaede was forcing them to ran at wasn't having the best effects on her body. A look to her right gave her a clue on how Konoka was handling the situation. Apparently somewhere along the time that Kaede liberated them from their windy prison the healer decided to lose consciousness. Right now she resembled a plastic bag with the way her legs dangled in the air as she was pulled at high speeds by their kunoishi companion.

"Is she catching up?!" Kaede asked.

Asuna managed to glance over her shoulder without breaking her neck. The crow demon was doing her best to catch up, but all she was managing at the moment was keeping herself within view. Really, just how fast were they sprinti-

_**-KA-PYUUN!-**_

"Yah!" Asuna nearly allowed herself to get a face full of dirt when a spark exploded near her without warning. "I-Is that Mana?!"

"Best guess." Kaede replied.

_**-KA-PYUUN!-**_

_Another spark at Kaede's feet._

_**-KA-WYUUN!-**_

_Two sparks in front of them._

Asuna felt herself get jerked to the left before Kaede continued on course. "She almost got me that time!" Kaede chuckled almost as though she was getting some sort of kick out of being shot at by the lovely marksman. Considering the weirdness factor that was the fuel of Negi's homeroom, Asuna would not have been surprised if that was the case. Who knows? Maybe this sort of thing turned the girl on.

"So we've got Setsuna and Mana on our butt..." Asuna took a moment to suck in some air, "Where's Chachamaru?!"

"She's trying to interfere with our rendezvous attempt at the front gate!" Kaede replied as she lead the way behind a few campus buildings. That would help to take some of the heat off their tail. "Fei-chan should be holding her off while the others meet with the class president!" Kaede opened her right eye to get a glimpse of shadow that briefly appeared along the roof top of a building that they were running beside. It looked as though things were about to get up close and personal for them. She couldn't wait.

"Here's where we split ways, Asuna-san!" Kaede alerted her friend.

"Hwah? What do you mean?!" Asuna's expression grew quite comical at the ninja's words. She was going to let go of them at this speed. The chances of this turning out well wasn't exactly bringing a smile to her face. Not at all.

"Mana is going to need some sort of distraction if we're going to make it to Ayaka's private air strip in one piece!"

"And what about you?!" This was shaping up to be unbelievable.

"Eh, I'll make it!" Kaede said nonchalantly. "I'm going to let go now!"

Asuna glanced at Konoka for a fleeting second. Of all the times for her to play sleeping beauty! "Um, Konoka-" Asuna freaked when she felt her hand slip away from Kaede's leather grasp. She then watched on as Kaede did a little twirl, crying out, "Catch!" Seconds later her jaw dropped as her bubbly friend was sent flying in her direction, traveling pack still strapped along her shoulder, unconscious and all. Oh, Negi, there would be hell to pay when he and Asuna came face to face again. All of this was just too-

"Oof!" Asuna caught the surprisingly light girl in her arms and continued her escape. Hm, must of been all of that strenuous training that Setsuna put her through in the past. Which, by the way, turning back to the urgent matter at hand, just where was said sensei? Asuna chanced a quick glance over her shoulder to find that the winged swordsman was nowhere behind them. Did she decide to help Mana out with Kaede or was she-

**_FLAP, FLAP, FLAP-_**

She _WAS_ above her, wasn't she?

_"Ha!"_ Ku-Fei parried another kick from Chachamaru before she ducked under the gynoid's rushing leg when she twisted her hips way around to deliver a kick from her other leg. The chairman initiated her counter attack rushing forward with a palm shot, which was blocked by the green-haired fighting machine. The Chinese girl grinned, seeing how Chachamaru unknowingly accepted the feint, and dipped low into a leg sweep so quickly that even the gynoid's reflexive systems couldn't anticipate it. Chachamaru was taken down, however, not out. She pressed her hands, palm first, against the ground at the sides of her head and jerked back before bring her legs forward to land on her feet gracefully.

"You no easy opponent!" Ku-Fei laughed with a cat-like expression. "No disappoint at all!"

"The same could be said of yourself, Chairman." Chachamaru complimented back before assuming a stance. "However, I must bring this to an end before you're allowed to stall me long enough." With those words Chachamaru rushed forward, hands swinging at her sides in blurs.

"Bring it!" Ku-Fei's eyes gleamed with her opponents image. While the two warriors once again engaged in full out combat against each other, Konoka ran past them undetected, sans Asuna. The bubbly healer looked over her shoulder to find Setsuna nowhere to be found. It appeared that the red-head made good on her word when she said that she would hold the crow demon back long enough for her to escape. She just hoped it wouldn't be too overwhelming for her. Being present at all of their training sessions told Konoka that Asuna still wasn't anywhere near Setsuna's level of swordplay and grace. That being noted, Asuna must of been having the time of her life.

**_-KLING-_**

Sparks traced twin arcs as Asuna's broadswords drew back from a collision with Setsuna's katana. The sweat on the red-head's brow sped across from one side of her forehead to the other as she whipped around to go in for a diagonal strike from below. Setsuna read her next strike well, connecting with a curving strike from up top. An explosion of light lit up the faces of both swordsman once their blades united once more, turning the sword dance into a grappling match. Asuna and Setsuna brought their faces up close to each other.

"Is this really what you want, Setsuna?!" Asuna'a voice was hoarse as she did her best to match Setsuna's strength. "Konoka needs you!"

"While that may be, I do not intend to back down when faced with a promise!" Setsuna retorted. "Negi had me promise to keep you all from getting involved," The crow demon grunted as she forced Asuna's blade a little lower, bringing her apprentice to bend her knees in the process, "If keeping that promise turns me into the enemy, then so be it!"

"Negi doesn't even know what he's getting himself into!" Asuna raised her blade higher against Setsuna's, straightening out one leg slightly. "He never does!"

"And you do?!" Setsuna countered. "The night he spoke to me he was dead serious about this, Asuna! Following him to where he's gone may not be in the best interest of anyone!" She jumped back when Asuna forced her to put some distance between them with a well executed break away from her sword. "Most of all, not for the ojou-sama! I will not allow you to involve her in such a risky journey!"

Asuna's eyes hardened. "Then keep her here! I don't care!" Her explosive response almost caught Setsuna off guard. "I'll go on my own if I have to, but I won't allow Negi to remain out there on his own! As far as I'm concerned, he's family! He's part of the only family I've got and will ever have, and I'll be damned if he gets hurt out there without me by his side!" Asuna rushed forward, sword in the drawn position for a strike.

"Ungh!" Setsuna managed to deflect just barely, being pushed back in the process. _What was that?! That didn't feel like one of her usual strikes!_

"SO DON'T INTERFERE!" Asuna brought her sword over her head to bring it down upon her master.

"ASUNA!" Setsuna was quicker to react this time, jumping up with one hand pressed against the dull side of her katana to reinforce her strike. Her blade connected with Asuna's large sword just as she brought it down sending it flying out of her hands. It was sent twirling a good distance behind Asuna as Setsuna landed behind her, plunging into the soil. A stunned expression remained on the red-heads face as Setsuna sheathed her own sword. She looked to be upon the verge of shedding a few tears. "I understand your rage, however," She looked over her shoulder, eyes sharpened furiously upon Asuna, "Don't underestimate Negi-sensei. He's far stronger and independent than you give him credit for, so don't go on thinking that you'll be protecting him out there because it will be the total opposite!.... Believe me."

"So...that's it?" Asuna's voice was distant. Setsuna turned around to regard her back. The red head appeared to be staring out into space, both hands held out in front of her as though she was waiting for something to drop right out of the sky. "You just...expect me to wait?"

"That's all we can do." Setsuna replied with a nod, though her friend was not facing in her direction to see it. "Doing anything else would yield nothing more than confusion."

_There was a rumble of thunder from up above as the scent of moist soil wafted through the grassy field. Setsuna felt a drop of water hit her cheek followed by another in slow succession before the pace gradually picked up into a downpour. Looking to Asuna's drenched form, her head raised to the gray clouds in the sky, Setsuna couldn't tell what the young woman was feeling at that moment, however, one word seemed to do the job of giving a helpful hint.  
_

_"Dammit!"_

_**Meanwhile**_

Kaede and Mana never skipped a beat as rubber bullets were deflected by a frighteningly large shuriken. The space in front of Kaede appeared to twist into a portal of light every time lightning streaked along the clouds above, and Mana's face would flash visibly every time another bullet was pumped out of the chambers of her dual pistols, which was at such a speed that one would mistake her for standing in front of a group of paparazzi members. Both femme fatales were engaged in a fierce dance, and yet the only parts of their bodies that were moving at a pace that such a description would imply were their eyes and hands. Aside from that, they strafed side to side with the lazy grace of floating swans upon the surface of a river.

Kaede twirled her shuriken as she twisted her body around to gain some more momentum. It was getting to the point that Mana could feel a wind current developing from the very point that the kunoichi was standing at. Before long it would begin pulling her towards Kaede if she wasn't too careful, and the lovely ninja was quite aware of this, her usual fox-like smile gracing her lips. "I just don't get it, Captain!" The first words were finally spoken since the moment the marksman and the ninja met face to face. Kaede's tone was mocking as usual.

Mana dropped the empty clips from both guns, managing to load two fresh ones in less time than it took for the empty clips to hit the ground. The lovely gunman decided to switch styles, positioning arms high and low as she shot, alternating at fixed intervals that Kaede found a hard time analyzing. "What don't you understand, Kaede?" Mana responded in a casual manner fit for leisure conversation.

"I," Kaede whipped around, sideways, and cracked the concrete with a slam from one of the lethal edges of her shuriken. A cloud of smoke rose from the spiderweb cracks that were made, and Mana found herself losing sight of her opponent. Adapting quickly, she holstered both pistols and assumed a defensive stance just in time to catch a left jab from a charging Kaede. The attempted strike was solid. This girl wasn't going to pull any punches if it ensured her victory, "figured you would be a little more positive about our little idea!" Kaede managed to pull her hand out of the other woman's grip and whip around with a mid-air roundhouse.

Mana leaned back to let the ninja's heel whip around at a safe distance before she followed in swiftly, hooking her right foot around Kaede's left ankle to pull her in roughly and land a vicious uppercut in her left side. The kunoichi clenched her teeth once Mana's fist made impact, however, she whipped her body around and linked a leg around the marksman's neck to put her off balance and slam her to the floor with a leg drop.

"Geez." Kaede held her left side as she put some distance between herself and the rising Tatsumiya. "Not in the mood for talking, eh?"

Mana smirked as she straightened herself out, patting off the left sleeve of her jacket. "My thoughts on your traveling plans?" She resumed her fighting stance before she went on to say, "I'm against it."

"The pay is that good, huh?" Kaede managed a taunt despite the pulsing sensation from her left side.

"I would have intervened regardless of whether Takamichi offered the job or not. The pay is just a little bonus on the side."

Kaede quirked a brow at this revelation. That reply sure didn't leave a good taste in her mouth. "You mean...this is personal?"

"I can't have you girls spoiling everything when motions are running according to blueprint." Mana replied, drawing one of her guns quicker than Kaede could twitch a pinky. The ninja got the feeling that attempting to dodge and charge wasn't in the best interest for her, with her shuriken behind her. "Negi made it clear that he was out to handle things on his own. Forcing yourselves into the mix would throw all of his plans out of proportion, and more to heart, I just wouldn't take too kindly to it."

"Eh?" Could she repeat that last part again? It almost didn't sound business like...

"He placed confidence in himself to handle his business without our help. I intend to make sure that he fulfills that."

"Mana..." Now Kaede just felt a chill run through her spine. "....Just what is this about anyway?"

"A promise to an old business client." Mana replied vaguely. Just the mention of a fourth player being involved made the kunoichi feel a twinge of impatience. Things were just getting better and better...of course, that would have been sarcasm. "Of course, I also have my own reasons behind my actions."

"That being?"

"I've already laid my claim on him in a sense." Mana cocked back the hammer. "Meaning," The way she raised her left eyebrow was almost like a taunt to the kunoichi, and she felt it hit hard for some reason, "I'll be the one to handle his situation."

Both of Kaede's eyes opened as a feral grin crossed her lips. Anyone foolish enough to stand between the death glares that both young women were shooting at each other would have probably been incinerated by the sheer intensity alone. "Aren't you stingy?" Her words came more as a statement than a question.

"Occasionally, yes. I can be." Mana shot back with sarcasm.

_Kaede's leg muscles tightened for a moment. The resolve to fight had returned, and much stronger than before._

_"...You know-"_ a whirlwind exploded at her feet before she shot at Mana like a bullet, _"-- I saw him first!"_

Mana chuckled at her friend's response, _"You shouldn't have looked away."_

_**"HYAA!"**  
_

_**[BLACK OUT]**_

_**--------K-Pow! ^ --------K-Pow  
**_

_"Ungh!"_

_**SPACK!***}**_

_**=KER-RAK=**_

_"Dammit!....YAAH!"_

_**/PAKA~PAKA\**_

_**------------K-Pow-K-Pow- K-Pow-------**_

_"Try harder! Your aim is off!"_

_"Hmph!"_

_***Tok*Tok*Tok----FWOOH**_

_"Eiyaa!"_

_"C'mon!"  
_

_**.....K-BLOW....**_

..............................................

**_BaThud...._**

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

_

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**_Taking our Tale to a friendlier atmosphere....I think....__  
_**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_Life_, a scary word, huh? The word is used often, but most of the time it isn't used lightly. It usually comes up when somebody wants to complain about how the world did them wrong and decided to turn its back on them. It comes up in conversations about the future, and on some occasions when a person was unlucky enough, it came from the person standing from the other end of the gun, or knife, or whatever was about to put that _life_ to an end. In some cases that word becomes something of a fearful idea when compared to idea of death. Where as death comes as a passage to eternal relief from pain and hardships and the never ending pursuit for the wonderful things we desire, life was the hand that pushed you forward to face every coming day and challenge you to become someone worthy. Life was charming, wasn't it? Kotaro sure thought it was. You see, Kotaro was another one of the many souls in the world that found himself on the receiving end of life's abundant charm and unpredictability. In a poetic sense it was like being held in the warm embrace of a lover...who held a knife to your back while you fell for their pleasant looks and wily charms. Oh, that was all kinds of sexy!

You know what wasn't sexy? Reading on after that awkward question would inform you that sitting in the living room of a home that you ran away from in a attempt to taste freedom sure was not sexy. Kotaro found himself stuck between two places and they were not over weighing each other in favorable conditions at all. On one hand he could remain with his two sisters and that horrifying mockery of a mother and allow himself to become just another gear in the clock that ticked in said crazy woman's brain. That already didn't sound like the choice that one would make so surely the second choice had to be something worth looking in to. Well, the second choice was that he could form some sort of plan to escape from his shell of a family which sounded like gold from what was stated so far, but now you had to go further and introduce a factor that just took all of the pleasantness in the idea away and twist it into some deformation that followed you around with a noose hanging from its neck_ (A little on the morbid side, eh?)_. Kotaro could only leave as long as he took along his fiance as well, and now I want you to picture a young woman that could kick your ass...and she would because apparently she feels that you betrayed her in the past by leaving her behind. Of course, she gave you absolutely no indication that your presence brought her any kind of pleasure or warmth.

"And if I don't...Junko will kill me." Kotaro muttered to himself as a twitch made itself apparent on his left eye. Being around the people that made up his family could so that to you.

Caska Inugami pulled herself away from the window when she heard some noises coming from her brother's direction and looked over her shoulder with a bored expression on her face. Right now she was wearing an oversized T-shirt that could have doubled as a sleeping gown if she wanted it to serve that purpose. You couldn't really tell if she was wearing anything else underneath that. It would be an odd day to find her dressed nicely for once, or like a girl for that matter. If it wasn't for that figure you sure wouldn't be able to tell what she was.

"What are you muttering about?" Miss Androgynous asked in a tone that would have one wonder if she was even interested in hearing the answer. Although the way her lips curled a little as she did ask her question would have kept any guys attention.

Kotaro shot her his best glare, "What do you care?" He turned his attention to the ceiling. Anything to keep him from making eye contact with another person.

"Geez, that time of the month, huh?"

_Kotaro did nothing but growl in response._

"Does this have anything to do with your wife?" Caska didn't hold back on that particular question.

"She isn't my wife!"

Caska rolled her eyes before she stuck her head out the window again, "Whatever."

"Ugh. Worst idea coming here." Kotaro didn't take note of the way Caska's dog ears went limp for a few seconds before they shot back up. The woman pulled her head back in to whip around on him with a look of displeasure.

"Nobody asked you to come back, chump." Caska took a sea beside him and threw an arm around his shoulder. Kotaro looked at said arm as though he was about to bite it. "If you don't like being around us so much just leave. You've done it before haven't you?"

"Its not as easy as you think."

"If I thought it was easy I would have disappeared a loooong time ago." The tomboy assured him. "You on the other hand found a way, so I don't see what could be holding you back this time."

"I'm not taking the hard way out this time."

"...The gate portal isn't exactly easy to access. You know that."

"It doesn't mean that its impossible."

"Um, locating it under the council building sure makes it near to impossible to reach without being seen." And, of course, the bottom level of the monstrous Council Building could house a football field. The gate portal wasn't so much just one portal as it was a a networking junction of gates that led to different cities of the magic world_ (Transportation at its finest!)_. Unfortunately you needed permission from one of the higher ups to receive passage due to the provincial interests that they forced on their citizens. Doing that on your own came with some rather unfortunate consequences, not to mention that the most elite officers kept patrol of the area. Fighting one of those guys was like a death sentence alone if you weren't exactly prepared for that sort of thing. Kotaro wasn't prepared for that sort of thing....but you probably knew that already. Naturally he was going to have to take a different approach, but the question was-

"So how are you going to get past that?" Caska asked. A smug grin crossed her lips and she shrugged her shoulders. "I hate to bring you back to reality, kid, but the odds are stacked against you."

"You get some sort of sick joy out of this, don't you?"

"I feed off of others misery. Sue me, why don't you?"

"Anyway," Kotaro stood from the couch, letting Caska's hand dangle from his shoulder before he jerked it off, "I've got a fool proof plan in the works."

Caska'a eyes widened with mock shock. "Fool proof, eh?" She nodded her head a few times before delivering the sting, "That takes you far from the equation, doesn't it?"

"Oh, make all the snide remarks ya' want. Come tomorrow," He jabbed a thumb at himself with a cocky grin, "I'll be far away from here, and you'll still have to put up with Kamui."

"Not if I murder him first." And take note that Caska looked a little too serious when she said this. Kotaro had to take a moment to digest that response.

".........."

"..........."

Luckily Kanako walked in with a bowl of super charged munchies, shoveling a spoon in her mouth as she passed under the arch of the entry way of the living room. The muffled_ crunch-crunch _could be heard from within her mouth as Kotaro and Caska remained in total silence, seemingly engaged in some sort of staring match. Those two sure were weird. "So...what is this about?" Kanako inquired curiously after swallowing down the contents.

"Caska's trying to murder her fiance." Kotaro informed his older sister with a straight face.

"Kotaro is planning to escape from home again." Caska answered.

"AM NOT!" Kotaro nearly tackled his sister for spilling the beans.

"........." Caska, however, remained silent.

Kotaro sweat-dropped, "You know, this is the part where you go in denial about murderi-"

"Denial....?"

_Kanako blinked before slipping another spoon full into her mouth. _

"You're not concerned about that at all?" Kotaro asked his bespectacled sister.

Kanako swallowed. "So what is this about you escaping?"

"I'm not escaping."

"Not what I heard."

"Don't listen to Caska!" Kotaro retorted, waving his hand in front of Caska'a face in a fruitless attempt to erase her from the background. "She's paranoid! Anyway, did you not hear what she just said a few seconds ago? I'm concerned."

"I'm telling mother." With that Kanako turned around and headed out.

"Don't bring that woman into this!" Kotaro tried to get her attention only to be ignored. "HEY!"

* * *

"I can't believe that I'm related to those two witches."

"Aren't you a little old to be calling your sisters names?" Junko asked her brother with slight grin as she entered the large living room on the first floor of her residence. Her younger brother was currently stationed beside the window facing he entryway of the room. He seemed a little anxious pulling them to the side every few minutes as though he was on the look out for a particular pursuer. When she called his attention with her question he turned away from it and faced her with a hand in a pocket while the other remained at his side. A relaxed posture considering how jumpy he'd been behaving since the moment he met was faced with his fiance days ago.

"Nice place you've got here, neechan." Kotaro decided to shift the subject away from the two other young women in his family. No matter how young his _'so called'_ mother seemed in physical appearance, he would never place her in that particular category. That was just throwing a drape over the elephant standing in the room, in a manner of expression. "One of the perks of being married to some rich jerk, eh?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You can say that." Junko nodded, taking a seat on one of the arm chairs stationed in the center of the room. She gestured to the couch that was across from her and said, "Take a seat, Kotaro."

Considering the experience he had the day before with this particular woman he was naturally a little hesitant in complying, however, he then remembered that it could always repeat itself sometime in the near future and disobeying her could possibly make that a few seconds. "S-sure." He moved away from the window and took a seat at the directed couch. He felt himself sink into the leather cushion at the corner he seated himself in.

"So you're heading out tonight?"

"Yeah." Kotaro replied, resting the side of his chin against an open palm. "With Kanako studying my every move for that bitter old hag, I'm going to have to take the initiative quickly if I wanna leave." He crossed his arms and sank even deeper into the cushion. "That little suck up already suspects me, all thanks to Caska for having one of her playful moments."

"Kanako, eh?" Junko's gaze became distant. "The poor girl is brainwashed." A sympathetic expression. "Don't hate her for it."

"I don't hate her...it just pisses me off to see her so loyal to that....that woman."

"Well, it isn't like she had anyone else to follow. I was married away from the family while you guys were still young." Junko turned her attention to the window with a somber expression on her face. The different emotions that were passing through her really kept the young man on his toes. He feared that she might suddenly transform into a demon at any moment now. "And without a little brother to watch over for a few years she was completely in mother's hands."

"And Caska? She means nothing?"

"Caska and Kanako has always butted heads. You know that. Most likely she felt that she would become a more sophisticated and mature woman than Caska if she followed mother's guidance." The older Inugami folded her hands. "The coin falls both ways, though. As you probably noticed, Kanako playing the good girl for mother had turned Caska into an even more rebellious girl. You and her are the only two out of her control."

"She's still hanging around." Kotaro muttered in response. "You call that out of Yuzuki's control?"

"Unlike you, she had far too much pride to come to her older sister and talk over her issues with mother's sudden shift in attitude towards her own children. That absence deprived her of the sort of courage that pushed _you_ to escape from here...." She rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Although I'm sure that is she had the chance that you did she wouldn't have wasted it by returning-"

"Hey! I didn't see this happening when I decided to come back!" Kotaro made an attempt to defend himself.

Junko shrugged her shoulders with closed eyes. "See what I mean? Clueless...."

"For someone who still follows the old woman's orders, you sure know a lot!" He snapped at his older sister, though with the silence that followed his words he wasn't sure if he felt comfortable with letting his mouth get ahead of his thoughts. When she offered him a soft smile he began to feel quite small for reasons he didn't really understand. Maybe, for one, he didn't even know what the hell he was talking about. Of course, boys will be boys, ne?

"I suppose," When Junko began to talk again Kotaro found himself on the edge of his seat, " I deserved that."

Kotaro shot up from his seat. "W-what are you t-talking about?! I was j-just being an ass! You didn't deserve that at all!"

Junko stifled a laugh with a smile. "You're too easy."

"GRR!" The young inu growled at her response, both hands tightened into fists as a vein bulged on his forehead with a clear pulse.

"You haven't changed, kid. You're still the same sweet, little brother from my past." Her words fizzled away his anger and she bowed her head slightly. "But I could understand where you're coming from. Considering how I helped you escape," For some reason Kotaro got the felling that she threw that in there to_ remind_ him, "-and how I actively go against mother every time we meet, it should come as a surprise as to why I'm living in this house with a man that I shouldn't love, but as you said earlier, this life does come with its perks."

_Kotaro swallowed at the odd expression she regarded him with..._

_"A beautiful little girl was one of them." _Junko cooed to him sweetly.

_...and now he was just speechless._

The older woman watched her brother try miserably at gathering his wits and laughed. "Unexpected news? I kind of wanted to surprise you with it earlier, but we kind of started off on a bad foot when we met yesterday. I just didn't think it was an appropriate topic to bring up after pinning you against the wall and all of that other silly stuff."

_Ha, she called it silly._

"I'm....I-I'm an uncle?" Kotaro squeaked.

"Cool, huh?"

"...Y-yeah...I think..."

_Junko grinned...._

_....and continued to grin..._

_....and went on grinning-_

"C-can I see her?"

_"Two seconds before I got up to punch you. Nice save."_

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------------------------

All was quiet in the dimly lit bedroom of a certain spoiled girl as she slept silently in the warmth of her covers. She slept spread eagle under the covers since the mattress stretched more than far enough to allow for such positions, with a content smile on her face. It was the kind of look that a person unconsciously made in their sleep when they were having a rather pleasant dream, the kind of expression that told others that everything was going according to plan. It was-

_**...SHFK...**_

_**TAP,TAP....TAP, TAP**_

-the hell?

_"Mmmm..."_ Tomoko pulled the covers over her shoulder and turned on her side at the noise.

_**TAP....TAP**_

_Tomoko buries her face into her pillow._

_**TAP....TAP**_

_She grips both sides of her pillow and closes it around her ears._

_**TAP...TAP, TAP....TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP**_

_She groans._

_**TAPTAPTAPTAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA**_

"RAAAH!" The girl ripped herself away from her pillow and flung the covers off her back before rolling off the bed and hitting the floor like a scene out of some horror movies. She got on all furs before looking over her shoulder in a feral manner to find a silhouette behind the curtains that hung in front of the window. She got up. Oh, someone was asking for trouble tonight! How dare they interrupt her dreams when she was in the middle of a steamy encounter?! They should be killed! They had absolutely no idea how long she'd been mentally preparing herself for such a vision, h-how many long nights she'd spent trying to tap into the right mood to make it all possible!

_She ripped the curtains apart to find-_

Tomoko's lips quivered. "K...Kotaro?"

_"Open the window!" _The young man's voice was muffled coming from the other side. He blinked when he made out a blush forming upon her cheeks...and that sweat...what the hell was she doing in there before he managed to get her attention?

"What are you...doing here?"

_"Just open the window!"_

The young woman regarded him suspiciously for a moment, however, considering how strangely similar this meeting was to the one she had just been taking part in a moment ago...she figured that she could be generous enough in doing this strapping young hound a favor. "What do you want?" Tomo glared up at Kotaro now that the window no longer stood between them. "And it better be a good reason for waking me up this late..."

_Yes..._ Her tongue passed over her lips. _...a veeeeery good reason._

"Tomoko..." Kotaro shot her with a look of determination. It was almost enough to make her heart skip a beat with the way he held her in his sights. His eyes held the kind of fierceness that she had sworn she only read about in those cheap love novels that she always found under her mother's pillow.

" I want you to run away with me!"

_Screw dreams! She lived for this moment!

* * *

**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

_

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

**_Catching up with the happenings of Negi Springfield...._**

**_----------------------------------------------_**

_He allowed the back of his head to press against her stomach a little harder as he settled in to relax. He was completely drained of all of his energy and he could feel his grip over consciousness slipping. It would have been nice to just close his eyes and dose off in the strange comfort of her arms. This was not normal, nor was it in any way a common instance. This calmness that they were sharing right now was rare, quite a hard moment to come by whenever he assocaited himself with this particular woman. She was everything that would not allow for peace and stillness. She was passionate, wild...fierce. She had everything within her that he wanted within himself and more. This was what had drawn him to her. Was this to say that he held some sort of attraction for her? No doubt, there was something very appealing about her, and he would have to admit to himself one day that the qualities that he considered disenchanting about her were, in fact, some of the main factors that played into the odd attraction that he felt for her. She may have been __dark, __heartless on ocassion, and __forceful, but that pushed him harder to try and understand her reasons for being the way she was. It was curiosity and fascination that motivated him to move forward in the game of chess that their emotions were almost constantly engaged in. A dangerous curiosity._

"Ah...this feels great." Negi Springfield moaned, his eyelids beginning to drift shut.

"I haven't heard that one before." Evangeline responded to his remark as her thumb stroked the side of his chin. She looked down upon him with an unreadable expression, her long hair falling over her shoulders and tickling the sides of his face. "Though you'll have to do better if you want to use me as a pillow." She said this while running her hands down his neck and resting them upon his chest. Seeing her hands resting there before his eyes brought upon a grim feeling for some reason. Perhaps it was because Evangeline's hands were capable of destruction beyond his darkest dreams. Not that he was afraid she might do something to him! NO, he wouldn't dare think of such things...and it wasn't because she could read his mind either. It was because she could smell fear.

"Please?" He pleaded her in an exhausted voice. "Don't I at least deserve this much?" He worked up the will power to lift his hand to steal a glance at it. His fingers were trembling like five people huddled together on a winter night. Training with the chibi-vampire was even more of a trial for survival from Negi's stand point, now that Evangeline deemed him experienced enough to get into the more advanced arts of dark magic. Those relating most to the vampiric arts were, admittedly, kind of freaky. She taught him how to separate his actual body into a flock of bats rather than turning to illusionary methods to confuse his opponents. A bit of advice: _think solid. _As pointless as that advice might have seemed, it really was important. Dividing your body and soul into hundreds _(or even thousands if you were highly experienced) _of bats was probably one of the most disengaging experiences one could have. It was akin to the story of Humpty Dumpty in the idea that you shattered into pieces. Let your mind wander and you'll most likely do that _literally._ If that happened, nonstandard game over, "I think I've knocked at heaven's door twice in the last hour."

"Best feeling you can possibly experience."

"What was that?" Evangeline spoke too quickly for him to understand.

"None of your concern, _boya_." She waved off his confusion. "Just the musings of a woman. Nothing _you_ would remotely understand."

"I'd like to understand you. Just give me a chance."

_A smirk_. "Would you now?" He voice held a hint of mirth.

"Well....yeah, of course."

" And what would you gain from that?" And why did this sound like a loaded question?

Negi narrowed his eyes, being forced to think a little harder than he'd like to, given his current physical condition. "...A better...understanding of my closest friend?" And, of course, when the response did come out of his mouth it wasn't exactly what one would call tactful. Perhaps that might have been the reason he felt his head hit the floor a few seconds later when the lovely vampiress moved away from him. After rubbing the back of his head to relieve the dull pain he looked up at Evangeline with a look of genuine misunderstanding. He seriously didn't know what he said wrong this time.

"Negi," The platinum haired woman looked down on him with her arms crossed under her well developed bust, "I'm really beginning to dislike that title."

Negi blinked unsure of what she may have been referring to. "What...title?"

His master closed her eyes and shook her head before reverting to her child-like form in a puff of smoke. When it cleared her eyes opened and the frown that occupied her lips turned into one of her usual scowls. The young man didn't need too much clarification to understand that this wasn't meant to serve as any relief to the current dilemma he found himself with. Evangeline wasn't going to make this easy for him. "God, why the hell are you so dense?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. "...This is a waste of my time." She turned away and walked a good distance before phasing out of existence through a dimensional rift. Negi, on the other hands, was left to contempate what just happened.

_"....I don't understand...."_

__________________________________________________________

**_Back to Reality...sucks to be you...._****_  
_**

**_-----------------------------------_**

_"Hrrm...what did I do wrong...master?"_ Negi mumbled in his sleep sitting back against his seat with his arms crossed. With the look of disturbance upon his handsome features the other occupants in the room could tell that his dreams did not stir his feelings well. Clearly he was having some sort of nightmare. And _Master?_ Just who was this person he was referring to? Were they real, or did this young man just have a disturbing imagination? Either way, he sure wasn't normal. Why did Katherine bring him along in the first place?

That last question may have been the reason why said individual found herself gaining the spotlight from all the other hunters seated upon the facing, padded benches. Another reason might have stemmed from the fact that Negi was seated beside her and he appeared to be leaning toward her in his sleep. The lovely vampire hunter's eyes swiveled between the other female hunter sitting on the bench across from her and the sleeping magi. This was awkward. "What?" Katherine took an annoyed one with her fellow hunter.

The hunter she directed her question to was a spunky looking woman, not much past her late twenties, by physical looks. Her hair was slicked back forming a collar of spikes around the back of her neck from the ends of the uplifting strands with one long bang forming a crescent arc on the left side of her face. She had green eyes that matched perfectly with the mischievous appearance that her cute feature gave off. Just looking at her would give an observer the impression that she was the trickster of the hunting party, and they could not possibly be more spot on. Her tastes in clothes reflected on the dark outfit she donned that consisted of a contour hugging dress shirt and black slacks. The black jacket she wore over her shirt had pointed collars with little embroidered crosses at the tips. It contrasted somewhat from the formal huntress wear that Katherine preferred. That being the traditional black leather and utility straps and such.

"So...where did you pick up, Dreamy?" She was, of course, naming him by his current state and not his physical features.

Katherine clenched a fist underneath her chin and looked to the side, grumbling, "A story I'd rather not tell." As if to spite her Negi suddenly took that oppurtunity to fall against her and moan the word _'Master'_ again. Katherine was not amused.

_Shpack!_

"Wha?" Negi's eyes fluttered open at the slap against his shoulder and looked around absently for a moment before he turned his head to have his eyes align with Katherine's. The unwelcome glare from her was enough to make him flinch back and put a reasonable distance between them. "Scary..."

"What was that?" A vein nearly bulged on the german huntress's forehead at the whispered comment.

"N-nothing!" Negi lied with an assuring grin. He then realized that there were clearly more people on the truck now. When he got on about an hour and a half ago it had been completely empty, with the exception of his new found _'friend', _Katherine and her partner, Wilson. The best explanation for that might have been the fact that he dozed off almost immediately after establishing himself a nice seat. All of that late night traveling that followed the heart pounding escape from his unpleasant encounter left him weak. That aside, that woman on the other bench sure seemed interested in him. It was almost as if she wanted to get something off her mind about him.

So he politely asked, "Yes?"

She smiled leaving him with the impression that he should have just kept her waiting for a reaction. "The names Erna." She extended a hand out ot him which he took with a slight hesitation. When she was sure that she had a firm grip she went on to ask, "And you are?"

"Negi Springfield." Negi introduced himself.

"Welcome to the party, Negi."

Katherine decided to intervene. "Don't get to familiar with him."

Erna turned her attention away from Negi, her hand still gripping his. At this point Negi was debating whether to pull away or just leave as it was. In the worst case scenario she might have had a better grip on him than he believed and would be pulled across the gap between them if he tried to slip free with a smooth jerk. A young man of his build would arouse some suspicion with such abnormal strength. That was especially true around these hunters.

"If you're bringing a party treat you can at least share him, Kat."

"A party treat, he is not." Katherine retorted with a scowl. "He's just hitching a ride."

"The first time Kat has brought along a guest." Negi turned his attention to the newest addition to the conversation, one of the two identical men sitting to his left side. One was seated beside the vampire and the other was seated across from his twin. They both were bald men, not exactly handsome but not too bad on the eyes either when it came to appealing features. They sported short goatees and wore gentleman suits of the opposing colors black and white, probably to allow their fellow hunters to set them apart. Unlike Katherine and Erna they didn't appear to be strapping any equipment on their waists or shoulders. To sate your curiosity the comment came from the twin dressed in white.

"Makes you wonder if there's something special about 'im." The twin in black added to his brother's input to the conversation.

_I should probably go back to sleep..._ Negi suddenly found it quite tempting now, with all the attention he was getting from his company.

"With that _'Master'_ talk he was doing in his sleep earlier," Erna's words made the poor boy blush in embarrassment, "I'm guessing it's a story worth giving a listen to."

"Don't get your hopes up, Erna. This isn't like any of those trashy love novels you buy at every gas station we stop at." Katherine shot the woman down with a look of indifference despite the fact that her insides were boiling. The things she had to go through for doing a good deed. "He's just hitching a ride to the next town we stop at."

The white clad twin stroked his chin. "I betcha she's probably making up for mooching offa him."

"No surprise there, mate." The black clad twin agreed. "Wilson forced her to do it, no doubt."

"Finally got cau-"

_"Do you two ever shut up?" _Katherine snapped at the twins with a frightening scowl.

Erna sighed, "There goes my hopes." Her words prompted Katherine to snap her attention towards her.

"What hopes?!"

"To kill the monotomy. It gets boring after riding around on this truck for a few days." She cast a wanton gaze upon Negi sending shivers down his spine. "I was just hoping-"

"That's it!" Katherine cut her off before she could elaborate on her feelings. "Those novels are getting burned at the next stop."

"No! Anything but that!"

_"What a bunch of crazies."_

"Shhh, Zero..." Negi slapped his hand over his side when he heard his familiar make a comment.

_"I'm just saying, where are all the normal people?"_

"Seriously?" Negi questioned sarcastically, however, something had become apparent to him after his short exchange with Chachazero and that was the fact that it had gotten rather quiet all of a sudden. Something told him that it had something to do with the fact that he was talking to a disembodied voice. Yeah, that might have been it, or maybe it had something to do with-

_**Clang, Clang, Clang....**_

-the mysterious knocking on the door.

Katherine blinked a few times before she slowly turned her head in the direction of the door. Surprisingly, the one that they came through to enter, but....that should have been impossible while the truck was moving, and considering the thick forest they were currently traveling through, there was just no way they could attract any visitors. Wilson, Mathew and Hayter were riding in the front so unless this was their idea of a stupid joke...

"William!" Katherine barked out oward the front of the truck.

_"What?" _His muffled voice came from beyond the door dividing the passenger car from the driving car.

"What are you three doing?!"

_"....Well, I'm driving."_ Wilson reported to her with much sarcasm._ "Mat and Hayter are up here with me...why?" _The last word came out with genuine confusion. This obviously wasn't their doi-

_**Clang, Clang, Clang....**_

_-And there it was again!_

After the second round of knocks Negi saw Erna and Katherine draw the guns at their waists. From the looks of them the young magi was able to take an educated guess and place them as customized variations of Mark XIX pistols with...what seemed like ten inch barrels. A little common knowledge, courtesy of being close friends with a certain gun-for-hire. Glancing over his shoulder he was able to see the twins gripping some odd looking blades in both hands. They were ready to go...as for him, well, his hands were more than enough for anything.

"Keep it on the door." Katherine instructed Erna. When she recieved a nod she walked over to the door and asked, "Who's visiting." The question bordered on comical given the atmosphere within the room. Everyone had become so tense that you could hear the bones cracking beneath their muscles.

_"Sorry. I'd just like to ask a question."_ Not actually expecting a response from the other side, Katherine looked at everyone else over her shoulder with a puzzled expression. That honestly wasn't supposed to happen.

Katherine turned her attention back to the door, her gun never wavering. "...Ask whatever is on your mind."

_"How kind of you!" _The voice sounded delighted with her cooperation. _"I'm in search of a close aquaintance. He's a strapping young man with short red hair, wears the cutest little glasses, and goes by the name of Negi Springfield."_

_Negi Springfield? _Katherine was so sure that she heard tha name before, but she just couldn't...

_Katherine looks over her shoulder._

_Negi looks horrified._

_Is she talking about...him? _The hunter suddenly felt rather compromised. She just wasn't sure why, and yet she knew that there was something about him that was off. Just sitting at the same table with him back at town was enough to give her that feeling, but now the feeling was stronger than ever and it carried an undeniable hint of danger. She must have been thinking to herself to long because-

_"Are you still with me, love?"_

Katherine felt herself flinch when the voice came again without warning. "Um, er, yes. What was the question again?"

_"Negi Springfield. Are you familiar with this name?"_

"No, um, not really," The huntress found herself clearing her throat in the middle of her sentence. "I don't believe I'm familiar with the name. I'm sorry I couldn't have been of any help to you, um, ma'am."

_"How unfortunate."_

"Yeah..."

_"Because you're lying to me."_

Katherine tensed with the inclusion of Erna and the two twins. "What...do you mean?"

_"You are, aren't you?"_

"No, I'm no-"

_"You did it again. I gave you a chance to answer honestly and you lied to me again." _Katherine heard the voice teeter chillingly. It was enough to make the blood running through her veins go cold. What was this sensation in her chest? Why did she feel the gun in her hand tremble so? Was this fear? _"You see, I know he's in there with you. I can sense him...I can even smell him. I just wanted to see how you might answer me. You know, a little test to see whether I wouldn't have to drag him out myself. Well, needless to say, you fail so, so hard."_

"Hey," Erna turned to Negi, gun still trained on the door, "A little explanation would be nice! Who the hell is on the other side of that door?!"

"Erna! Focus!" Katherine barked out just as the most horrifying thing happened.

_**SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! **_

_The armored door peeled away like tin foil to reveal Lucinda McVicar in all of her glory._

_"YAAAAAH!"_ Negi wasn't entirely sure if it was a battle cry that came out of both women's mouths or a cry of unadulterated horror from watching the one thing keeping them seperated from the Dark Mistress get torn away like a sheet of paper, but the room was filled from the bottom of their lungs as gun shots rang out in a torrent and the worst part about it all was the delighted smile that never left Lucinda's face as she kept taking steps forward and it was directed straight at Negi Springfield. Katherine and Erna were forced to back away as the distance between them and said woman seemingly kept on decreasing no matter how much lead they unloaded on her. None of them ever met their mark.

The door to the driving car was kicked open and Wilson stepped in with a gun drawn before taking a shot. He was followed by another man wearing a skullcap, black jeans and a muscle shirt of matching color. The striding mistress reflected from his gold eyes and his right arm thrust in her direction like a spear. Seconds later a knife was caught in Lucinda's left hand before she sent the knife right back at him, but Negi's vampiric strengths allowed him to see the knife returning in near bullet time and he caught it before the hunter could be on the receiving end...right through the middle of his right hand.

_"URFM!"_ The young magi doubled over after biting back the scream that threatened to leave him before removing it and dropping it to the floor. A yelp brought him away from his rapidly healing injury to find that Lucinda had finally reached the front line, snatching Katherine up by the neck. Erna desperately attempted a rescue, hoping to land a successful head shot with the frightening proximity she now shared with the Dark Mistress. An explosion left the end of the gun's muzzle sending a bullet screaming directly at Lucinda. The mistress's head was thrown back at that exact moment giving Erna the impression that she met her mark until she realized that Katherine's legs were still kicking wildly in the air, and Lucinda spat the bullet to the floor.

Erna found herself backing away, _"CHRIST!"_

_"Master!" _

"Huh?!" Negi's eyes snapped back into focus when a cry from the inner pocket of his cloak brought him out of his shock.

_"You better do something!"_

_I know! I know! _Negi's eyes darted between Katherine flailing around, the commotion surrounding him, and Lucinda. _I'm aware of that, but...._

_Wilson cries out Katherine's name._

_...but..._

_Erna drops her gun to the floor._

_...but..._

_Katherine stops flailing._

Negi's eyelids peeled back to the point of disappearing.

"_**NO!**_" Reflexes overcoming fear itself, Negi bounded forward and pushed Erna to the side before he tackling Lucinda around her mid-section. Smirking at his impulsive action, Lucinda lost interest in Katherine and let go of her before allowing herself to be taken into the momentum of Negi's tackle. The hunters watched in awe as the young vampire did the one thing they had been attempting to do the moment Lucinda McVicar stepped foot into the room, launching himself out the truck with the mistress held tight in his arms. The two vampires smashed into the dirt trail that the truck left behind in its wake and kept tumbling in each other's arms until they completely disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"Katherine!" Erna dropped down ot her knees and gathered her semi-conscious friend into her arms to press her against her chest. "That was _too_ close!"

"But..." Wilson stepped past the two women and stopped at the torn exit. What just happened was simply beyond him. It all happened too fast for him to make sense of it. "...Springfield...what the _fuck? _He...he's _insane_."

* * *

~_A vesica of hiberna nox noctis! Tear procul viscus of meus hostilis! _

Negi cried out his spell as he shot through the trees of the forest like a bullet. Tree branches snapped against his body like weak twigs and rocks and pebbles were smashed into grains of sand beneath the force of his falling feet. He looked to his side to wait for Lucinda to come into view again and unleashed his terrible spell with the snap of a finger. The ground behind the dark mistress shrieked as stalagmites of ice tore out into the surface following her. She naturally managed to keep ahead of the death trap with her near god-like swiftness, however, Negi was relying on just that. Just as it seemed as though she had escaped them all the magister snapped his finger a second time and a stalagmite tore through the ground directly in front of her at an angle that would have spelled death for a mere mortal. She charged right into it and impaled herself upon it before she could veer to the side in time.

_Please buy me time! Please buy me time! _He inwardly pleaded as he picked up his sprint another notch in hopes that he might somehow manage to leave her behind while she took the time to correct for her error, but just as the last time and the attempt prior of that time, it failed. He looked over his shoulder to find Lucinda hot on his tail once again. Interestingly enough she had yet to take the offensive on him despite the fact that it was all Negi had been doing up to this point. She was simply taking everything he was dishing out at her and absorbing it before giving chase again....which apparently did not bode well for the young hero because he was just now beginning to understand what she had in mind all along.

_"Are we still running?" _Lucinda taunted from right beside him.

"ACK!" Negi nearly bit his tongue in fright.

_"Really now, Lord Springfield. My patience is beginning to wear thin."_ She raised her left hand into air. _"And as much as I enjoy the view of your scrumptious backside, I think I've been a little generous in allowing you to elude me this long. Our little game ends now!"_

_EGO dico super currents teneo sententia etiam! Rapturous Ventus!_The moment the spell left her lips Negi felt as though he had run directly into a brick wall. Disoriented by the impact, he fell backwards only to be swept up by a strong current of wind. _"I would ask that you not waste any of that precious energy trying to escape."_ She made a quick gesture with her left hand and willed Negi's body to go stiff as a board before forcing him to raise his arms at his sides. _"Save it all for me."_

"Why?" Negi questioned her, refusing to give in without some kind of explanation.

_"Excuse me?"_ Lucinda blinked curiously.

"What makes me so special? Why won't you just leave me alone?!" The young vampire exploded in frustration, but that was all squashed when the creepiest little smile crept up on the mistress's lips. The scariest part was that he was sure he had found a similar one on Evangeline McDowell's face once before. "...Er...what?"

Lucinda held her hands behind her back as she approached him up close. _"Why, you have absolutely no idea just how valuable you are to me, do you?" _She placed both of her hands against his chest in a fashion that sent chills running along his spine. _"YOU are Evangeline's successor, a carrier of her very spiritual essence. In time not only will you inherit most, if not all of her abilities, but you will eventually come to surpass her. You are her extension. The very first strand to ever be woven into her bloodline and that makes you first in line to take command over her clan."_ Lucinda pressed her forehead against his chest as she paused before looking up at him playfully, her hands snaking around his waist._ "Not only that...but you are a testament to Evangeline McDowell's unconditional love. The bond between you two goes far deeper than blood, Lord Springfield, and 'Dark Evangel' is no fool. She wouldn't endow this gift with just anyone..." _Her eyes narrowed wistfully._ "No...it had to be someone she would trust her life with. It had to be Negi Springfield and no one else. That alone is enough to make you irreplaceable in my eyes."_

"...What's to gain from all this?" Negi was thoroughly disturbed.

_"So much, Lord Springfield. Not only do I gain the honor of tainting an untouched masterpiece like yourself, I have also obtained the key to 'Dark Evangel's' heart. With you by my side, Evangeline McDowell has officially become mine by extension."_

"W...W-What?"

_"You'll lead her right to me." _Lucinda cooed after she licked her lips hungrily.

"I'd never cooperate." Negi told her defiantly as he turned his head away from her.

_"Silly....She'll come of her own free will."_

"She would no-"

_"YES, SHE WILL!" _The mistress cut him off hysterically. _"You're valuable to her, Lord Springfield. When she realizes that something has happened to you..." _She teetered at the very thought of what would follow when Evangeline learned of her boya's whereabouts. _"....Well....Hell hath no fury."_

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_"ACHOO!" _Evangeline nearly dropped her steaming cup of bloodline tea at the violent sneeze that escaped her. Now that she really paid a bit of mind to it, she'd been doing that quite often the past few days. It was beginning to inspire a little suspicion.

_The boya probably can't stop thinking about me, now that he's been away for so long. _The chibi vampire thought with a cocky little smirk before sniffling a little too loud for her liking. Setting down her cup, she called upon her faithful servant Chachamaru. The gynoid maid was at her side in an instant, leaping down from Negi's old room on the second floor, which was a little odd considering that there wasn't any furniture in there for her to dust. She was developing some weird habits.

"Yes, mistress?" She awaited her orders with a slight bow.

"Another word for danger?" The vampiress asked, clicking the pen in her hand impatiently as it hovered over the small crossword book she had been amusing herself with for most of the night.

"Peril, mistress." Chachamaru answered.

"....I knew that." Evangeline muttered as she scribbled the letters into the boxes. Her eyes scrolled through a few more hints and exclaimed when she found one she knew. "S...O...S." She worded aloud as she scribbled in the answer.

_Evangeline pauses._

"Another word, Mistress?" Chachamaru waited on her expectantly.

"When in danger you cry out..." Evangeline trailed off.

"I believe the answer is _'Help'._"

"....I knew that."

"Undoubtedly, mistress."

"........."

"................."

"........."

"......The answer is _'Urgent'._"

_"I KNEW THAT!"_

* * *

**_To Be Continued...._**

* * *

_Welcome friends and extended family to the end of chapter ten! This is proof that a young man can hold on to his creativity in the face of responsibility! This is proof that working two jobs back to back for five days of the week has done nothing to my willingness to dedicate a few hours to writing for the masses, but damn did it take a while. Anyway, I've gotten through my first year of college with acceptable marks. Of course, I intend to change acceptable into something a bit more dignifying in the near future, but enough of that! How are all of you doing? It's been a while and I know I've been a stranger, but life tends to do that to people as most of you surely know. _

_Getting back to the story, Negi has found himself in Lucinda's clutches yet again, however, this time it seems as though the situation has gotten serious as opposed to their last encounter. Makes you wonder just what little excuse I'll use to foil the mistress's plans again. And perhaps the fact that she's a lightweight won't fall into the equation again. Katherine and her team of hunters just got their asses handed to them, and the girls back at Mahora probably won't be able to look one another in the eyes when they pass each other in the hall for a week at most. As for character development, Kotaro is a manipulative bastard, Lucinda is sickly obsessed, Mana is a possessive action girl, Chachamaru is a scheming con woma--er--gynoid, and Evangeline sucks at crossword. (Never liked it myself.)_

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**_Question Time_**

**_--------------------------------_**

_**Q. **_Why do Takane, Ako, Makie, Akira, and Yuuna have split personalities (regular and "Dark") when no other vampiric characters do?

**_A._** Evangeline murdered her Dark side in its sleep...no kidding. As for the remaining vampiric character, Negi, he's shown himself almost succumbing to it a few times already. We have the time he almost sucked Konoka'a blood, his sudden loss of control during his match with Evangeline, and the few times Dorothy attempted to have him give in. As for the reason I haven't had Negi meet his darkside face to face yet...well that changes soon. Oh yeah, notice how Dark Mistresses are twisted? That happens after centuries of being worn down by dark ego's. I'd give you a more detailed explanation, but that would just be time consuming and boring.

_**Q.**_BYE takes place three years after FVA, that means class 3-A should be high school seniors. Are you aware of this, and if so, are you going to figure the graduation and post-high school lives of Negi's students?

**A.** I've got that covered.

_**Q.**_ If this was a real series what kinde of opening and ending song would you use for it?

_**A. **_That's a hard question...

**_Q. _**Are you accepting any more character creations?

_**A. **_I'd actually like to lay off on those. I've got enough of em'.

**_Q. _**You said something about a mage council volume. When is that coming out?

_**A. **_Ah, you reminded me!

_**Q. **_WHEN DOES MINI DOROTHY JOIN THE STORY?

_**A. **_Eventually. She'll join in after the Winter Festival arc. Easy on the caps, huh?

_**Q. **_Since Catherine is a vampire hunter why was she living with Negi in that chapter way back in the original?

_**A. **_It inspires curiosity. See?

_**Q. **_What clothes is Negi wearing?

_**A. **_Let's see...I originally thought it would be good to go with his usual green suit, only tailored for an older looking him and the mage cloak worn over it, but that was too plain. The image I have now is something similar to what he wears in the manga, but I'll specify differences from time to time depending on the given situation.

_**Q.**_ Will By Your Enrapture and At Your Side be over three hundered thousand words each?

**_A. _**By Your Enrapture, definitely. As for 'At Your Side'...that depends on reader interest. If things start to lose flair in long chapters I'll do snippets.

_**Q. **_Why didn't you give Reina Tepes a profile in character introductions?

_**A. **_I'm waiting on Spiritblade, respectively.

**_Q. _**What is Takane's artifact?

**_A. _**I'm having a hard time deciding that.

_**Q. **_Do Negi's students find out about his vampirism before or after he returns to Mahora?

_**A. **_Some of them find out personally while others will find out near...aha!You almost had me there.

* * *

_Take Care_,

**_Traingham..._**


	13. Interlude I: The Lance Draped in Crimson

_A.N/ As promised by Spirit_blade, _this is a bit of insight on the character of Reina Tepes...._

_...Enjoy..._

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_**Disclaimer: **_Spirtblade does not own any plot elements or characters related to Negima.

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_The Lance draped in Crimson: the Story of Reina Tepes_**

_Written by Spiritblade_

* * *

Keep fighting, boya. This is a story for everyone who wants to fight, who wants to reach their hands to the starry skies, and who believe that they can win it all back.

**(O)**

Transylvania has always belonged to my family. It is an ancient land, one that has walked through the centuries with the unconquered grandeur of the titanic mountains whose snow-topped peaks seem to reach for the starry heavens they could never touch. War and strife had come to this land, but its people have never bowed – not even when my ancestor, Dracula, ruled over it with an iron fist and cast out those who would not kneel to his rule. During that era, most of the Tepes Clan fled to our holdings in the _Mundus Magicus _in order to elude Dracula's servants. Some remained behind to wage a vicious shadow war against their treacherous kinsman whose powers were made greater by the pacts he had made with the Princess Morningstar.

Yes, despite what the Church likes to say, the Morningstar – also known as the Adversary, as Satan, as Lucifer – is in truth, female. How do I prove this? Simple, child: tell me, what is temptation? What is passion? It is the seductive voice in the back of your mind, whispering softly that what you want – and what you feel and want to feel – is not wrong. It is the curling languor of tender flame and warm wind, of the promise of fulfilment and the scent of lost Paradise. None who live in Creation can resist this, for temptation and passion are part of that which we call Life. To never be tempted is to never be tested. To know not passion, is to not know love and desire.

The Messianic religions preach that one must be pure of mind, body, heart and soul in order to enter Paradise, to earn the regard of God himself but I believe otherwise. I have met criminals whose hearts were purer than those who laid them low, prostitutes who knew the value of fidelity than maidens who whispered blissfully the promise of eternity, and despised champions who endured the scorn of their compatriots for the sake of a better tomorrow.

But, enough of this talk about God and religion; let us return as to how my Clan came to be. My family are not true vampires; we were human, once, and were part of these country's ruling elite. We were warriors, merchants and poets whose skills were second to none. We served the King of these lands as his honour guard, and we were loved – and feared –by the people we served. Feared, because of our fearsome battle-rages which some say was the final parting gift of a rebel angel our ancestor vanquished. The words of that mighty being were engraved on every stone obelisk that marks a castle or mansion as the residence of a member of the Tepes Clan:

'_**The Dragon rises in your Blood,**_

_**With pride, fury, hunger and passion;**_

_**Prideful child, you will fall,**_

_**Not to blade or bow,**_

_**Nor to thunderbolt or plough,**_

_**But through the hand that is extended to you in mercy.'**_

Yes, I see that you understand now. The weaknesses of my clan are, to the last child, the vices of wrath and pride. It is in our blood. And when a mighty vampire offered my ancestor (not Dracula) the chance to become immortal, we took it. It was not long before we learnt how badly we erred in accepting the vampire queen's offer. The Beast we thought we could tame soon became a dragon of unparalleled might and rage. In the space of a few nights, we destroyed what took our forefathers generations to build. The Tepes name became synonymous with cruelty, atrocity and vengeance.

It was a reputation that served us well during the war between the werewolf clans and the vampire Houses. In a war between two ancient allies unsurpassed in its viciousness, I have seen even werewolf lords – many of whom were hardened veterans of many battles – trembled at the sight of the three-headed dragon that was the sigil of my family. It was in that same war that I met Lucinda and all the rest; it was in that war I met my commander, Camilla, whose life – and death – would mark me for all the rest of the long eternity I would live. She once told me that there is no curse that cannot be broken. The curse that was laid on my family long ago had a crack that would end it – but it was one that, in our pride, we would never take. What use did my clan have for love? It was a weakness that could see any of us fry in Hell. Should a mortal strike our fancy, we would abduct him and, upon tiring of him, drain the hapless fool of every drop in his veins. Even though humans and vampires are worlds apart, the seeds of mortals can kiss life into a vampiric womb; several of my sisters have, in fact, sired several children with the same partner – and two have followed their lovers to their graves. I could not understand them: what was worth more than the eternity we now had?

Camilla had smiled and told me these words: _'That it ends.'_

Did Camilla choose to die because she was tired of living? Yes, eternity brought with it a depth of exhaustion the defied description and the realization that all one knew and love was transitory. But, on the other hand, one could immerse oneself in the complexities of one's craft till time ended. One of my brothers, utterly in love with art and literature, has yet – even after three hundred years – to lose even an iota of the passion which made him embrace his trade whole-heartedly. Do buy his books if you can; I promise it will be worth every last dollar in your wallet. And speaking of books, Camilla loved them. No matter where she was, she would always have that damnable magic pouch nearby. First thing in a city, and she would scour the bookstores to add a new book to her collection. Anything from Shakespeare to a copy of the Quran, she had it on your asking.

But, as a fighter and a leader, there were few like her. Werewolves are canny fighters; they were bred for war. Underestimating them is the **last** thing you wanted to do; mighty vampire lords, centuries old, have met their ends on silver swords and talons that could gouge out reinforced concrete. The Lycans – because I have to include the were-cats, were-serpents and other shape-shifters into this category – were not only potent adversaries in single combat; many of them were master scouts and assassins. Not only that, Lycans were prolific: the vampire legions were **always** outnumbered three to one. Every battle had to be planned carefully lest it become a massacre.

But the Lycans had one weakness – and it was one that Camilla and the other vampire lords exploited mercilessly: the shape-shifters' mastery of magic could never compare to our own. But where our lords would unleash displays of raw, mystical might to intimidate our adversaries, Camilla used it to play the game that the Lycans believed themselves master of. She – we – hunted them. The hunter becoming the hunted; that seriously threw the werewolves' morale into the mire. It went lower when several of their best companies were never heard from again.

Our victories soon earned our regiment the personal enmity of the Lycans' Council. The latter soon put a price on our heads, a price that would _**almost**_ equal that of the one put on the Dark Evangel. We soon found ourselves fighting our way out of many tight spots, but that was nothing compared to the Night of the Bloody Tundra. That changed everything. That night, on what my comrades and I thought would be our last…we would meet the Dark Evangel in person.

Do you know that the Tepes Clan is one of the ten families vying for the throne of the Vampire King? You do? Good, this will make things easier. You know how powerful our lost monarch was. You know what it took to defeat him. An Archduke of Hell had to look Final Death in the eye before our King drew his last breath. And for centuries since then, the noble Houses of the Vampire Clan have fought each other for the right to claim sovereignty over our entire race.

But, that night, the Dark Evangel would prove that she was worthy to sit upon that empty Throne…even if she didn't want it. Four Lycan legions surrounded a company of less than three hundred; when the sun finally rose – less than a hundred Lycans were left alive. They had brought their most powerful wizards to try to match the might of Camilla's mages, but the Doll Master simply tore their magical defenses to shreds, and annihilated them in a heartbeat. And she was laughing…! I remembered the Dark Evangel's insane laughter, the way she swept the finest champions of the Lycan armies like chaff. I remembered my voice, singing a war-song, as I tore through the horrified Lycans. I remembered raising the decapitated head of a slain werewolf lord and slaking my thirst on his blood, remembered striking down his sons and daughters to the last, ending an entire bloodline of the Lycan race's finest champions in a single glorious battle. I have and will never fight as I had fought on the Night of the Bloody Tundra. When our compatriots came to relieve us, they were awed by the scale of the slaughter – and the magnitude of our victory: three Princes of the Lycans Royal House laid rent and broken in the bloody snow, and no less than a dozen lords of the Lycan clans will never wage war against us ever again.

It was then that I found my purpose. No longer did I wish to be my clan's sword, to slay whom it deemed a threat, nor did I wish to be a slave to those sniveling fools in its Council, to be sent where they wished so as to please their allies. No, I will remake Clan Tepes into a new Royal Family worthy of the right to sit upon our lost King's basalt throne. But when Dark Evangel's damned darkling came into the picture, **EVERYTHING** came crashing down.

Imagine the havoc caused by the Dark Mistresses of a dozen clans chasing after the Dark Evangel's darkling like love-sick mortal girls, and it is not a stretch of the imagination to know that it was only a matter of time before a civil war broke out with him as the prize. My greatest adversary, Alice Dalziel, had stepped into the fray as well, bringing her entire clan with her to claim one who would be King. And it is **NOT ONLY** my kind getting into the mix: humans, elves, the bloody Lycans, the angels and the rebel angels – all of them are making a bloody beeline towards the Thousand Master's son, and all with the same idea! The Thousand Master had a thousand lovers and perhaps just as many children, but none would ever equal the son who now stood on the precipice of seizing a destiny a hundred Vampire Lords and Kings have murdered each other for.

I drape my lance now in crimson, gilded in gold, bearing the colours of the Royal House that Negi Springfield would one day lead. It was of the triple-headed dragon of my House, curling protectively over a golden sunburst. I smile. I understand, perhaps, why Camilla had a soft spot for mortals; why Evangeline had reached out to grace this one mortal – this one above all others – to become her one sole patriarch to a clan whose power would become second to none.

Mortals knew and understood eternity better than those who had it. It is a lesson I will, most certainly, enjoy learning.

_**Fin.**_


	14. Open Season

Disclaimer: _I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters...  
_

_**Fang Vice addiction: "By Your Enrapture"**_

**_Chapter Eleven: Destiny has Brought You Here_****_  
_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

"She found death at the hands of the boy she loved." Chao paced the back room of her restaurant, her hair unbound messily, falling to her waist in dark silk and her clothes still showing the scars of combat from her final encounter with Dorothy Summers. The wounds that she sustained in her struggle to keep her father safe from the maniacal vampire, particularly the near fatal lacerations that Dorothy had inflicted as a parting gift, had healed before they could have properly ended her. Blood ties to the great _"Dark Evangel" _had their share of benefits.

"Disappointed?" Mana asked the Chinese time traveler, taking her place beside the side door she used to enter the room.

"I'm not sure..." Chao replied absently as she finally came to a halt in her pacing. "I wanted to end her life personally...but for some reason it felt more proper the way it turned out." The young woman ran a hand over the back of her head before offering Mana a curious smile. That had to be the first time Mana ever recalled seeing her nervous. It wasn't exactly a picture of confidence, and it certainly didn't fit the current owner. When Chao Lingshen was met with a shred of uncertainty or doubt, something was clearly going wrong somewhere in the world.

"What's the problem?" Mana inquired in a business like tone. She had a feeling that this invitation wasn't for something as sentimental as a final good-bye. The relationship she shared with Chao had always been strictly professional. Any sudden change in that silent agreement and the lovely marksman would feel a need to exercise some caution around the devious scientist. She was one of the last people that she would place her personal trust in, and that was just a step underneath Evangeline McDowell.

"It's been bothering me since Dorothy went off to meet with Evangeline during the tournament finals." Chao crossed her arms, her tone going uneasy. "Dorothy once told me in one of our conversations that Negi was destined to kill her, which bothers me. If that was true, then I'd see no logic in her pursuing her own killer." She resumed her pacing again.

"It might have been planned." Mana suggested.

"It couldn't have been." Chao replied doubtfully. "When Negi ran her through, her reaction was_ classic_ shock. She never anticipated it."

"Weird..." Mana seemed to ponder for a moment before bringing herself back to the conversation. "Anyway, what's your point?"

"McDowell." Chao answered her, stopping in mid pace once again. "I'm going to need you to take on a final assignment for me. Just name your price." The magic words were said and it was all that was needed to get Mana's interest. Chao decided long ago not to entertain such thoughts as to what was the price tag on a life for this woman's profession, but the captain was as lethal as they came and that sort of edge was not maintained through training alone.

"I'll decide when you give me the details."

"I need you to act as a buffer." Chao's response managed to a quirked brow out of the dark skinned beauty. "Mistress Dorothy passed along some information to McDowell on their meeting during the tournament. Something tells me that it wasn't done without some sort of ulterior motive in mind, and the way that Evangeline approached Negi-chan after we got down from the zeppelin...it irked me somewhat."

"How so?" Mana's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It was openly affectionate for a person like herself." Chao replied. "Unexpected and new."

"I understand." Mana nodded knowingly. "You want me to set a distance between them."

"I can't trust anyone else with something like this. It would be far too much of a risk."

"You're afraid that Negi won't meet your mother?"

"Evangeline may be set on keeping that from happening." Chao turned away from Mana and moved towards the window cautiously. She was likely checking to see if Gandolfini was anywhere nearby. As far as the mages were concerned, Chao Lingshen was still a major threat to the stability of the magic realm. Dorothy Summer's presence in all of it was something only a select few were aware of. "Entrusting something like this with any of the other girls would be literal suicide. Negi-chan is still young and adventurous. If he were to set his sight on a girl before he met my mother, Dorothy, would still come out on top as the victor in all of this."

"And what is it about me that puts your worries at ease?" Mana questioned. With her tone of voice, it was rather difficult to discern whether her question was supposed to be received humorously or if she was honestly implying something unfavorable. With Mana it was never a clear bet.

"I trust you not to chase after a little _boy_."

Mana looked to the side and chuckled, closing her eyes. _"Hmph."_

"Will you accept it?"

"How long do you intend for me to keep this up if I do?"

"Until Negi decides to leave Mahora." Chao replied casually. When she saw the suspicious look on the captain's face, the Chinese scientist smirked. "Don't worry, captain. That day is not so far off. That is, of course, if you do your job well in keeping him away from McDowell. Something tells me that she'll be trying to keep him quite close from now on...in more ways than one."

".....Fine." Mana answered her with a nod. "I'll take my payment from you the next time we get in contact." With that she shifted her weight forward to get away from her leaning post beside the door and placed her hand on the door knob to turn it and take her leave. Chao's eyes remained on the door as it swung shut with a light click. Yes, Mana Tatsumiya was the closest to an ensured future that she could place her hopes in, however, even that didn't keep it from being a gamble. The only differences between the lovely marksman and the rest of the girls in Negi Springfield's class, was her motivations and the cold philosophy that she based her lifestyle upon. When that armor was pierced, even the cold shrine priestess was a blossoming, young woman at heart, just like all of the rest.

_"Til' we meet again...Dark Tatsumiya, The Eye of Infinity."_

_

* * *

_

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**_Fast-forward to the present!_**

**_Location: The Pocket Dimensional, Moonlight Manor_**

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where is it? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Whined the gossip mogul of the underworld, Lil' Mika. Her blue nails glittered in the glow of a nearby torch flame as she tossed her dark blue locks back, and she beckoned at the twin maids of the dark manor with an expectant glare gracing her child-like features, strutting toward them with her other hand on her hip. Two young men followed behind her with subdued postures, similar to how loyal servants followed behind their lords. They were, of course, her camera men and if the rumors about Lil' Mika's treatment of those under her payroll were true, then there simply was no need of explanation for their dispositions.

_'Where is...what?' _Twin I shot at the short gossip mogul telepathically with a slightly raised left eyebrow, or rather for the sake of better understanding for telling the two twins apart, her name was _Eva_. She had been in the process of helping her twin undo the black wraps around her right hand when Mika decided to suddenly pop into existence. To enter the pocket dimension that Lucinda established for her manor you either had to be invited, ensnared, a powerful spell caster or Lil' Mika. Lil' Mika was blessed with the natural ability to bend dimensional threads to her will, which was one of the main contributing factors as to why she was so successful in her profession as a gossip mogul. All she needed was a tip off on where the action was, and she was there in the blink of an eye. The twins were no strangers to the major inconveniences that such abilities brought upon the people she intended to siphon her desired information from, as they were servants of the infamous, Lucinda Mcvicar...nuff said.

_Lina_, twin II, offered her twin a nod of appreciation at her assistance and turned to Mika with the usual neutral expression adorning her pale face. _'The Mistress is away at the moment. She has not given us any indication of when she shall return.'_

"Well...where is she?"

_'We were not told.' _Eva rolled up the hand wrap and set in down on the ledge of the window beside her.

Lina looked to the side blankly, _'Though one would guess that she might have gone after him.' _Mika placed her hands on her hips with a look of intrigue when the maid raised her eyes to the ceiling and repeated, _'After him.' _Funny thing was, Mika couldn't remember the last time she ever heard of a _-HIM-_ being something of a particular subject of interest when it came to Mistress McVicar. Lucinda McVicar never so much as pursued as she did attract, which was something that could be taken to extreme lengths much to the woe and confusion of those whom envied her. The top underwear and lingerie models of the underworld could walk down the red carpet of an exclusive party, stark naked, and they still could find themselves ignored if Lucinda Mcvicar happened to be walking ahead of them fully dressed, and the fan bases......dear god, the fan bases.

She simply had to know, "Uh," The blue haired vampire flailed her right arm anxiously, pointing at the second twin with her other hand, "Y-you!"

_'Lina.' _The maid corrected her.

"That, too." Mika didn't bother to keep that in mind. "Who were you just talking about earlier?"

_'...Lord Springfield?'_

"Lord Spri--" She almost spoke the name with reverence, but something simply didn't seem right about it. "Lord Springfield?" She crossed her arms with her head lowered in deep thought for a moment. She went over the list of Dark lords she knew in her head a few times, yet regardless of how carefully she went through them a 'Lord Springfield' just didn't seem to be pop up. When that failed she looked over her shoulder at her camera men for some clarification. "You guys familiar with a Lord Springfield?"

Edgar, the bald one of the two shook his head. "No, Lil' Mika.

The other one, a narrow eyed vampire with his hair braided into a long ponytail, did the same, "Doesn't ring a bell, Lil' Mika." He went by the name, Wellington.

"The heck is this guy?" She turned on the twins again. "Is he _new blood_?"

_'The mistress happened to pick him up.' _said Eva, a slight shrug coming from her.

_'Personal details about him are limited.'_ Lina picked up from her sister. _'He did not offer much information about himself during his visit.'_

_'And yet....' _They both clenched their fists and bowed their heads in silent respect as they spoke, _'His image burns deeply within our spirits, regardless.'_

_Left quite the impression, that guy, eh? _The short mogul thought at their display.

"Could one of you at least give me a full name?" A simple 'Lord Springfield' wasn't going to get her anywhere, especially if there wasn't any information to back up the claim that Lucinda McVicar might have finally found a potential soul mate to begin with, which was as breaking as news could get in the underworld these days. Things weren't nearly as exciting as they were a century ago. With the tensions between the Mage Council of the _'World of Order'_ and Mistress Alma of the _'World without Law' _no longer running high, there just wasn't anything to talk about anymore. The unreadable air that settled among the the Dark Lords and Mistresses didn't help that very much. There were suspicions that perhaps they had all finally gotten bored with life and given up on making an effort to claim the throne that was left behind. The legendary count must have started the trend. That aside-

_'Negi Spingfield.' _Eva and Lina answered at the same time.

Mika closed her her eyes with her chin turned up almost as if she was appraising their answer before a wicked grin crossed her face, "Negi Springfield, eh?" She turned away from the twins to look to her camera men and the grin twisted into a scheming smile before she broke out into triumphant laughter. She hugged her sides, doubling over as Edgar and Wellington exchanged an uneasy glance and when she was finally done-- "I JUST LOVE IT!"

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**_{F} [V] {A}

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_**

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**_Looking to Mika's victim in the works...._**

**_------------------------_**

The trees here were aligned oddly, and the soil was tampered with. So far there were no signs of forest life with the exception of the occasional bird call, but the grounds were completely clear. Apparently animals understood that this land was meant to be steered clear. Was there some kind of predator lurking within the midst of these trees that the animals had come to be wary of, or was there more to the emptiness? Perhaps this was some sort of scared ground? That might have explained a few things, but more importantly where exactly was this place? How far a distance had he traveled with Katherine and her band of hunters before Lucinda's intervention?

_How long are we going to be walking through this forest anyway? _Negi Springfield thought to himself, letting his head hang once more and getting a good view of Mistress McVicar's shapely behind in the process. At the moment he was thrown over his captor's shoulder with his stomach bouncing up and down against her shoulder with each step she took, which was an odd scene considering that he was still disguised as a young man. One would usually expect the man to have the woman slung over his shoulder rather than the inversion, especially if you took her body type into account. You couldn't tell how frighteningly strong the mistress was at face value, not that he was in any condition to struggle anyway. The spell that she used to bind him didn't seem to be wearing off any time soon, and their proximity was sure to foil any escape attempts that he had in mind should that ever change. She'd probably just enjoy the workout anyway, which reminded him-

_Oh god! How can I stay calm about this?! _His eyes shifted from side to side in growing horror. _She's planning on violating me when we get back to her mansion, isn't she?! Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez--I've got to find a way out of this again! I managed to get off last time with sheer luck!_

"...McVicar?" Negi was inwardly impressed with himself for not sounding desperate. Those days of living with Evangeline really did a job of hardening his spirit.

The mistress gave his side a light squeeze before she responded with a, "Lucinda."

"Huh?"

"Why so formal, _love_?" She purred. "Lucinda is fine with me, unless you've already thought up a nice nickname." Negi whipped his head up in surprise when he felt her hand clamp around his butt. "I advise you find one you're most comfortable with. You'll soon be crying it out til dawn once we reach the love shack." Her declaration struck a cord in Chachazero, who popped out of the her master's shirt to offer a suggestion.

"How about _SLU-" _She was bopped back inside by the end of her master's chin before she could finish that sentence.

"Um-- heh, heh-- about that..." Negi trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Why haven't you just...transported us there already?" He took note of the hum in her throat after he asked his question. Did she think he wouldn't notice that there was something odd about this late night stroll?

Lucinda slowed to a halt and set him down on the ground much to his surprise. "You do pay attention, Lord Springfield." She complimented him on his observation, though it lacked her usual flirtatiousness. He watched the mischievous smile on her lips melt away and he realized that they might have stumbled upon trouble, and any sort of trouble that could put a crack in the mistress's cheerful mood was the sort he could certainly live without. It was one thing after the other today. "I didn't want to spoil the romantic mood of our walk, but it'll be hard to keep this up any longer."

"Trouble-ah!" Pins and needles bit at his entire body as the feeling returned to him. He shook his arms, directing a questioning look up at Lucinda, "You're letting me free?"

The smirk returned. "Who ever said anything about letting you go free?" She responded as she crossed her arms under her chest. "I'll need for you to be up on your feet. A little leg work might be necessary for what comes next."

"Next?" The young magister echoed her uneasily, getting back on his feet. He felt a shift in the air flowing through the trees and noticed that the mistress had her eyes directed at something behind him. "What," He turned around, "...no..." The word left his lips in a whisper as his eyes fell upon a woman that had not been standing there a moment ago. Blood red eyes looked past him from under a few gold bangs falling from a mane of hair that flowed around her face elegantly. A black cape fell over her shoulders, half concealing the light armor that she had underneath it, and on her breastplate Negi was able to make out an odd symbol resembling a hydra of some sort, or was it a snake? It was hard to tell in the shroud of darkness that fell over the forest. The spaces on the left and right side of her rippled and two clansmen stepped forward into existence. Both were fitted with armor as well. The young vampire spied swords at their waists.

_Knights? Who are these people? Vampires? Is she a Dark Mistress?_

"My knights tell me of a disturbance taking place in one of my personal hunting grounds, and lo and behold, I find myself faced with a grand lioness from days of yore." The woman spoke in a powerful voice that sent ripples through Negi's bones. That confirmed it. This woman had to be one of them. "Lucinda McVicar, seeing you here does put a weight on my mind. I am forced to wonder what cruel twist of fate has placed you here before me..."

Lucinda bowed to the woman respectfully, though it seemed that is where it ended. "Reina Tepes, time appears to have broken you away from that _cute_ mute you once were in the good ole' days. What a shame!" She whined in a sickeningly cute voice. " I always did like the quiet ones!"

Mistress Tepes' lips made a slight twitch as if Lucinda's words had left a small crack in her mask of indifference. "And time has stood still for you, it would seem, but I digress, why have you trespassed within my hunting grounds, McVicar? I would excuse an imbecile, but you are much too wise to step upon the grounds of another mistress without a particular means." The woman's eyes sought out Negi before narrowing slightly.

"Claiming my gent for the evening," Lucinda placed a hand upon Negi's head, tangling her fingers in his red mane possessively, "You understand, I'm sure."

"Unfortunately, his claim would fall under my jurisdiction now, being on my hunting grounds." Reina shot down her evening plans without bothering to consider her words. "You'll have to leave him here and find another for the night."

"Erm..." Negi looked to Lucinda, unsure of what to make of the latest development. Sure, parting with her would have been a major improvement for his future health, however; while this Reina Tepes didn't seem to show any real interest in him so far, she still didn't appear to be a very friendly individual. Then again, wouldn't her words imply that he was now her game? At least that was what his mind could deduce from this hunting ground business that she was throwing around.

At some point during his inner bout of turmoil, Lucinda's hand had slipped from the top of his head to his right shoulder. "That won't do." She pulled him against, sliding her hand right up to his cheek to press the side of his head against her ample bosom. "This one stays with me."

"And why is he so special?" Reina asked of Lucinda with a suspicious edge. "When did your lust for the flesh become so...particular?"

Lucinda yawned in response to her old war sister's inquiry, "I wine and dined him, in a sense. He has an obligation to fulfill to me." She turned to Negi and pinched his cheek. "Riiiiiight?"

Negi blinked, still unsure of who's side to take. "Um...well....I don't..."

"Boy." Reina addressed the hapless, young magi drawing his attention back to her. "Who are you?" Her voice grew intense.

Lucinda's hand cupped over his mouth, her grin cracking wider. "What does it matter to you?"

"I'll be frank with you, boy. I've done my best to ignore it so far, but your presence here is becoming more of a bother to me than that of my old war sister." She stepped forward, stopping when she could read the look in the young man's eyes properly. She detected suspicion and a bit of fear. Fear was something she was very familiar with, but the suspicion was intriguing her. He was hiding something and he was trying to figure out whether disclosing those secrets to her would compromise him, wasn't he?

"You're one of us." Her words did not leave her lips in question.

_Not good..._ Negi felt himself tense up involuntarily.

"It's too late to try and suppress your aura from me, boy." She told him with irritation. "You're far, too, nervous and unfocused to conceal it from me to begin with. Now, who are you?"

"You _don't_ have to answer that question." Lucinda assured him. "Don't let the mean lady push you around."

It would have appeared that the red-eyed woman had finally reached the peak of her patience, her brow knitting clearly in anger. "Very well, if you don't wish to cooperate then allow me a guess." Her eyes regarded Negi intensely. The young magi held his breath when their was a faint flicker of recognition, but that was impossible. He'd never seen this woman in his entire life, and yet he couldn't fight down this anxiety that began to grip his chest. This wasn't the first time he'd been met with a complete stranger only to find that...

_...Could she have met him? _Negi's eyes widened in a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

Reina gasped, "Unbelievable...that I find myself faced with one of the _'Thousand Master's' _children." She stepped forward to approach him and Lucinda pushed him behind her protectively. "Why, you two could pass for twins if you inherited that smug grin that he was so infamous for. I..." Her lips twitched upwards for a brief moment. "But," She paused, her expression taking a dark tone, "the spiritual presence that you project is not one of radiance like that of your father, but of of a haunting darkness."

"I would like you to run now." Lucinda suddenly ordered. "She knows."

"Knows what?" Negi asked, feeling the beat within his heart quicken.

"What else?" Lucinda rolled her eyes at him before shooing him away with a few flicks of her wrist. "Run, would you, _love_?" The urgency in her voice had become clear as the sound of a blade being unsheathed reached his ears. He glanced around her in time to see Reina brandish a broadsword at her side with one hand.

"And y-you?" Negi asked, retreating away from the fight that looked as if it were about to ensue.

Lucinda flashed him a brilliant smile that got his cheeks heating up, "Aren't you sweet? Now _go_!" She returned her attention to Reina when the young man finally got the message to run, and saw the young Tepes toss her chin in Negi's direction for her two clansmen to pursue. Before they took so much as a step forward to do as they were ordered, the seductive mistress took on a fighting stance, scraping her left foot back against the soil with her hands at her sides.

"Wouldn't you rather play with someone experienced, gentlemen?" She asked, giving them a cheeky grin.

"Ignore her." Reina ordered them when they hesitated. "She'll be in my care." Her words were met with a nod and the two proceeded to sprint past the opposing mistress.

_"A phasmatis gust jacio off meus foes!" _The woods moaned at Lucinda's cry and a flurry of green leaves were cast in their direction accompanied by heavy winds that pounded into their bodies with such force that their very spirits appeared to be gripping for dear life desperately, in attempt to keep from being forcefully ripped away from their shells. The two knights under Reina's command braced against the suffocating winds that impeded them just barely, however, she managed to hold her ground well enough to launch a countermeasure. Lucinda watched her slice a magical glyph in the ground in front of her before she began moving her lips.

_"μπορεί η πράξη γη από οργή μου!" _Reina stabbed her sword into the glyph and the earth before her quickly rolled into a fierce wave that towered over Lucinda before coming down upon her with a crash. The counterattack had the desired effect, breaking Lucinda's concentration with the spell long enough for Reina's knights to get past and commence pursuit of Negi Springfield. Once that was out of the way she pulled her sword out from the ground and whipped around quickly to point the edge directly into the tip of Lucinda's neck without breaking the skin. The seductive mistress smiled at her coyly.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Reina replied, never letting down her sword. "_Dark Evangel_'s spirit dwells within that boy," Her eyes narrowed, "How long have you been aware of his existence?"

"Not long." Lucinda averted her eyes for a moment before rolling them back toward the owner of the sword against her neck. "But I must wonder...what do you intend to do with him?"

"...That remains to be seen." The young Tepes answered. "Even as he is now, he is dangerous, but to kill him would be...unwise."

Lucinda carefully placed the back of her hand against the edge of Reina's sword and moved it away to a safe position, "Just so you know, you'll never catch him this way." Her words caused the other vampiress to raise an eyebrow. She smirked at Reina's curious reaction and placed a hand on her hip, cocking it to the side. "Honestly, sending subordinates after him? You're better off doing it yourself. He's being protected by _'HER'_."

"Don't be absurd."

"Oh well, suit yourself then," Lucinda turned away from her and started walking in the opposite direction, "Another chance foiled, thanks to you."

_Silence..._

Reina blinked, "McVicar!" She called to her when she was a fair distance.

"Whaaaat?" She looked over her shoulder still walking away.

"......Sleep well tonight."

The fleeting mistress scoffed, "You've prevented _that_ from happening!"

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey," Negi leaped over a rotten log that lay in his path before kicking his legs against the soil again to keep from slowing down, "Zero-chan!" His call summoned his familiar from the confines of his shirt. Her head popped out and she looked up at him with a, "Yeah?"

"Am I being chased?" He asked, grabbing a hold of a tree branch that hung above in front of him to send himself swinging upwards. He curled into a flip and managed to land one foot atop another awaiting branch to continue his run along the trees. _This way I shouldn't leave any more foot prints for them to follow..._

"You've got two dark auras following ya'." The sadistic puppet answered him, sounding a little relieved. "But it definitely isn't that 'Reina' chick."

"Hey, Zero?"

"Yeah, Master Negi?"

"You've never met her before?" The young vampire inquired curiously. "I mean, you must have been with Eva-chan when she met these guys, right?"

"The mistresses?"

"Yeah." He jumped off of a branch and landed on the side of a tree before kicking off of it to send himself shooting into the distance. He reached out for another one of the branches as he shot past and managed to grasp one, only for it to crack in half and send him falling down into the other branches below him. He snapped a few more under his weight on his way down, but he grabbed a hold of another and stopped his descent before he could hit the ground again. _"Whew."_ A sigh of relief let him and he began the long climb back up.

"Nope." Chachazero replied, crossing her tiny arms. "By the time she put me together she was already traveling the mundane world alone."

"Oh." He perched himself on a branch up high and tried to peer out into the distance, but the mass of trees obscured anything that might have lied beyond them. This place was like some kind of death trap. _This is unreal...where am I? How far off from the main road did Lucinda chase me to? _"Reina Tepes...that's the name that Lucinda called that woman by. She knew my father, but I wonder whether they were enemies or-"

"Friends?" Chachazero finished for him. "Well, this is T.M that we're talking about." The puppet looked up at him from the cleft of his shirt and he swore that a smirk would have crossed her lips if facial expressions were possible for her. "Maybe she was one of his past lovers, eh?"

"....No comment."

"Imagine...if she was your mo-"

"NO!" Negi let out a strangled hiss, flailing his arms like an angry cat. "Let's just get off the subject! My life is in danger here!"

"-And even she didn't kno-"

"Zero!" Negi glared at her.

"...at least she ain't a clone." Her last response made her master blink.

"...What...does....what does that...have to do with any-"

"Halt!"

Negi looked over his shoulder to find the two knights from before perched on two branches in the distance, their swords drawn in a silent warning should the thought of escaping cross his mind. Given the fact that most of these branches didn't even seem like they could hold his own weight properly, he was curious to see two fully armored men defy the laws of gravity so well. _I wonder how long they'd be willing to pursue me before giving up? I'm not sure if taking on the both of them is such a wise approach._

"What do you think, Zero?" Negi asked his familiar, clenching both fists until they cracked audibly. "Can I take them?"

"Of course!"

"You're not just saying that because you want to see for yourself, right?"

"...No."

"Why don't I...believe you?" Negi asked dully.

"Hey!" One of the knights called his attention back to them, not taking very kindly to being ignored. "Will you surrender yourself?!"

_"Nope!" _Negi and Chachazero declared at the same time before they both exchanged a quick glance and chuckled. They'd been spending too much time with each other. Not that they would have it any other way. "Okay," Negi got into the best stance he could assume on a wobbly branch when the knights began their approach, hopping toward him fluidly, "Now comes the hard par-"

"Duck!" Chachazero alerted him just in time to dodge a dagger that had been directed at his neck. Negi righted himself fast enough to see the knight on his left reaching around his waist to slip out a few more throwing knives, and smirked. It looks like they were about close enough.

"Hm?" One of the knights saw the smirk, but it was too late for him to put two and two together.

**__****"Offendo lemma pessum!" **The young magister cast a hand down, the tail of his cloak billowing over his head as he did and a moment later the branches in front of him had become vaporized by a javelin of thunder. Nothing was left standing.

"Artsy." His familiar complimented, though there was a hint of disappointment present in her voice. "But I was aiming for brutal."

"They're gone, aren't the--" It happened in slow motion--a boot coming in contact with the side of his jaw. The next thing that the young vampire's mind could process before he was sent crashing through the branches diagonally across from him was Chachazero's yelp for him to protect his chin. So much for that helpi- _**KRAM! **_His body smacked the dirt trail in the most unforgiving manner possible, skipping off a few times before skidding to a nasty halt. "Uhg...Ah..." Negi groaned painfully, feeling as though a balloon had been inflated out the side of his face. He touched it gingerly and hissed at the swell.

"Master!" Chachazero popped out the back of his neck through his collar and climbed atop his head. "They're coming."

"Give me...a moment." He told her dizzily.

"He's still conscious." A voice said from the distance.

An amused chuckle was let out in response to the observation, "Good. For a moment I thought I killed him." Negi's ears picked up the distinct ring of a sword twirling through the air as he got back to his feet and looked up to find two blades poised for the attack.

_I don' expect this to go well... _Negi clenched his teeth. _...but...I don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter, so-- "In meus manus manus__!" _He held his left hand out, accepting Setsuna's sword as it materialized into existence.

"A japanese sword?" One of them remarked admiringly. "Interesting fetish, boy."

"I would like to see how well you wield it." The other one, the one that kicked him, challenged.

"I've got your back, master Negi." Chachazero drew both of her blades and twirled them skillfully, standing on his shoulder. "Keep your focus on one of them at a time. I'll deflect anything that comes from behind you."

"Thanks." Negi smirked in defiance to the knights before kicking off to meet them, growling, "I'll need it!" His two adversaries accepted his advance and kicked forward as well to meet him halfway, ignoring the passionate cry that howled from the young magi. Each step brought them closer to locking swords. Closer and closer and--

"WHAYAAA!" Negi lost his concentration for a split second once the knight to his left let out a surprised yelp of pain. The knight to his left, distracted by his partner's cry, dropped his guard for a few crucial seconds and paid for it dearly, receiving a deep slash through the side of his gut from Negi's blade.

"**Glurp**..." Blood trickled from the side of the knight's mouth as he grimaced. "What did you-GYAAH!" Negi jumped back when the remaining knight screamed without warning, propelled to the floor by some unseen force.

"Huh?!" He whipped around on alert. "Where did it..." He looked over his shoulder. "How the..." He crouched low and turned his head in every direction, bracing himself with his sword. "Zero-chan?"

"No." She answered his unspoken question. "It isn't Mistress SlutMcguffin." Her response caused her master to narrow his eyes curiously for a moment to figure that one out.

"Mistress who?" He still didn't get it.

"McVicar." She clarified for him.

"...Right." Negi stood up straight, dismissing what he just heard. "Now then," He approached the unconscious bodies of his two attackers, dismissing his blade back into the magical box, and stopped over them, "What just happened here." He stroked his chin curiously.

"They don't look dead." Chachazero commented. "Must have been knocked out."

The young magi blinked when his eye caught something shiny. "Um," He bent at the knees and picked a small figurine off the side of the knights face, "Mini...me?" Yes, there was indeed a small figurine of himself_ (His true self) _ held between his thumb and forefinger, and quite frankly it disturbed the hell out of him.

"There's another one on the floor." Chachazero pointed out for him.

"R-Really?" He looked to his side to find another, only this time it wasn't him. ".............................................Evangeline?"

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**_{F} [V] {A}_**

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**_Mahora Campus, Cause we're worth it too_**

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Certainly, a few things could have been said about what had transpired the night before. It was not everyday that you found a group of highschool girls engaging in intense combat on the campus grounds, or at any other campus for that matter. It certainly could be said that things went out of control last night, especially when things had become personal between two particular students on the rooftop of the student center. How many days it would take for reconstruction of the roof, Takamichi honestly did not want to bring to mind at the moment, but the contractors would be asking questions when they came on site. Yes, damage control was going to be fairly challenging, and speaking of damage control, relationships were taking a toll.

Upon entering the classroom, Takamichi, expected to be the main target of a few hostile glares, and...he certainly did receive. Class president, Ayaka, was not in good spirits as of this morning, which did not need much of an explanation when you considered the gaping hole in the back of her private jet, courtesy of Chachamaru's handy work. _(Only reason she opted for the back of the jet as opposed to the side might have had a lot to do with the beautifully illustrated mural of Negi Springfield, bishie sparkles and all.) _Said gynoid had not come to attend class once again. Though one would wonder if she honestly cared to be considered an enemy by her classmates. All that was needed for her to become part of the operation was for Setsuna to inform her about how pleased a certain magister would be with her for preventing the other girls from the bad decision they were trying to make. Chachamaru was like a girl scout awaiting a badge for her efforts. Setsuna on the other hand, had come to attend class today as well despite Takamichi suggesting that she take the day off for the other girls to cool off from her betrayal. At least Konoka and Asuna weren't too hard on her for stopping them since they had come to a mutual understanding the night before. As for everybody else...

"I can't take this anymore!" The class president moaned as if she had been at her death bed. "How long is sensei going to be absent from campus?!" She ran both of her hands down her face, clenching them into trembling fists under her chin. "Ohhh! I don't know what to think anymore!"

"Is Negi-sensei really returning, Takahata-sensei?" Fuka asked, not sounding too hopeful.

Fumika naturally followed up, her voice dim in spirits as well. "Are you sure he didn't quit?"

"Q-QUIT?!" Makie clutched her chest, giving the other girls the impression that she was nearing some sort of coronary. "I'd a-appreciate you, not saying th-that! Kay?!"

Nodoka looked squeamish hearing those words get tossed around the classroom. She started wringing her hands at her desk, looking to corners of the room with an unreadable expression due to her overshadowing bangs, but there was some obvious distress going through her mind. Sayo was experiencing a similar feeling, looking from her desk to Kazumi a few times as if awaiting some reassurance from the photographer, but the girl in question didn't appear to be in the mood to give assurance so much as receiving it. Her eyes were locked upon Takamichi expectantly for a few answers, and so far all she had been getting were questions. To say that she was displeased with this did not do justice to her feelings.

"No," Takamichi finally spoke in a calm voice, "Negi has not given up from his position on Maharo Campus. You don't need to worry about that."

"Then where is he?!" Misa demanded, sounding betrayed. "This is our last year attending here, Takahata-sensei. Why would he leave us now?"

"That's right..." Chizuru gasped as if just realizing it. "It is our last year, and...I haven't seen Kotaro around for a while either."

"She's right!" Natsumi concurred. "Kotaro is gone, too!"

_I see._ Setsuna's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment after hearing that news. _Kotaro has already gone out to pursue Negi-sensei. _She looked to the side grimly, resting her chin upon her folded hands as she did. _Which would only mean that he somehow got a hold of his whereabouts from Evangeline. Either that or he's running blind out there._ "Damn it." The swordsman let out a curse in a rare moment of true regret on her part. "Why couldn't it be me?" She closed her eyes.

Takamichi simply turned away from the class and sighed, "What a mess."

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Do you regret allowing him to go on alone?" Shizuna asked Takamichi as they shared a drink at one of the outdoor tables near the Starbooks Cafe, which was running wild with the arrival of new freshman students for the new school year. This was the fourth time that lovely counselor had asked the English teacher this certain question.

"How could I possibly answer that question?" Takamichi replied as he inhaled softly from the cigarette he was smoking. He could still remember the looks of disappointment he was faced with when he returned to becoming the homeroom teacher of class 3-A, the guilt he felt when the girls asked him where Negi Springfield had gone. He had to admit in the back of his mind that he was rather angry at Negi for making the decision so suddenly yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel some excitement that the young magi was actually going out in the world alone.

"I wanted to accompany him but he told me that he wanted to do it alone." Takamichi chuckled as he extinguished the cigarette, smashing the burning ashes in the tray before him. "He said that he wouldn't want Asuna to be angry at him because he took me away from her."

"Always has an excuse for everything doesn't he?" Shizuna asked with a good-natured grin.

"He sure does...he sure does..." Takamichi mused. "It just hasn't been the same without him though. I'm beginning to miss talking with him. I was happy when he took the job as an English teacher. I..." He stopped for a moment. "...I guess I was just trying to keep a part of Nagi safe with me. Is that wrong?"

"It depends." Shizuna answered. "Did you care for him as an individual or did you only care for him because he was the last part of Nagi that was still around?"

The white clad teacher furrowed his brows, "...I...I'm not..."

"Don't answer too quickly." She held a hand to him. " I'm not trying to make you out to be a bad person, Takahata-sensei." Shizuna removed her glasses and placed them on the table. "There are a lot of others who feel the same way."

"You mean Evangeline-san?" He allowed a hint of relief to seep into his voice.

"I don't know about her..." Shizuna looked to the side uneasily.

Takamichi decided to move on from the subject. "She has been a little more irritable lately though hasn't she?"

"So I've heard from the other girls who attend classes with her." Shizuna replied. "What do you think? She is in your homeroom isn't she?"

"She's been absent for a full week and the same could be said of Chachamaru who is usually present in her place." Takamichi replied with a slight shake of his head. "I wonder if she's avoiding me..."

"And why is that?"

"Because Negi left the campus to seek out information about the spell that breaks the Scholasticus curse."

"Is that the reason he left?" Shizuna seemed to be rather hesitant with her next words. "Is that even...safe?"

"What?" Takamichi quirked a brow, unsure of what to make from her words.

"Releasing Evangeline from the curse?"

"That is the question isn't it?" Takamichi chuckled. "No matter how much the girls try to reform her she never seems to change much. In fact ever since Negi arrived on campus she had become quite a bit more aggressive."

"He kept her busy though." Shizuna laughed.

"He sure did. He was her "_kryptonite_" in a manner of speaking." Takamichi humored her. "Who knows...maybe by the time Negi comes back, we'll have another Crimson Wings on our hands. Oh, what a wonder that would be..."

"Are you reminiscing?" The lovely counselor asked, resting her chin in one hand.

"I can't help it." Takamichi laughed before looking at his watch. He took a final drink of his coffee and stood up. "Eh, time waits for no one. I have a class coming up in twenty minutes so I better head back to the main building." He pushed his seat under the table and looked to Shizuna. "Are you heading that way?"

Shizuna shook her head. "No."

"Alright then." He nodded, sounding faintly disappointed. He offered her a friendly parting gesture and turned to leave. When he merged into the crowd of walking students in the distance Shizuna stood up and walked in the opposite direction. She waved to some of the girls that passed her with a smile, but it vanished from her face as soon as they were behind her, almost as if it had been practiced. Once she was a fair distance away where nobody could see her a transformation took place. Her entire body, skin and clothes alike, began to ripple like liquid until she had become a blur of colors. Then, as if shedding a separate skin, it all vanished to reveal the true identity of the individual behind the disguise.

A pair of glasses appeared in Chisame's right hand and she placed them on her face before adjusting them up the bridge of her nose, opening her eyes to reveal blood red orbs. "So that's what that idiot master has been doing this entire time." Her eyes shifted back to their original hazelnut color. "Serving the _queen's_ wishes, but..."

_"Where could he be? Oh, where could he be?" _Chisame felt bumps crawling through her skin when she heard the feminine voice come from behind her, but the voice wasn't the cause of her scare so much as the darkness that pulsed from the owner. It felt familiar, which could only mean one thing. _"So one of you remain unsealed."_ Takane said with a smirk. She had on her usual trademark, Ursula uniform, but it wasn't kept on as neatly pressed as she normally preferred. To emphasize that point, her nurse cap was slanted to the side in a laid back fashion.

Chisame narrowed her eyes. "Negi turned you, too?"

"Me, too?" Dark Takane purred as she cocked her head to the side. "Silly girl," She placed a hand upon her own chest with pride, "I was his _first_."

"I see." Chisame's voice went cold. "Well, then. What the hell do you want with me?"

"Easy there." The dark young woman told her. "I just wanted to make you a proposal. Are you interested?"

"What _kind_ of proposal?" Chisame crossed her arms skeptically.

Dark Takane's smirk dropped, her expression becoming quite serious. "Tell me. How badly do you want to see, Master?"

* * *

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

**_Somewhere..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

Life had been hard on Negi in the past but this was just starting to get really ridiculous. He figured that with all of his nocturnal powers all this travelling would be a cinch but so far all it's been doing is getting him in trouble with people he didn't even know existed. The magi trudged through the endless woods until he finally worked his way out to an opening. It was a fine change from all of the green he had been seeing for the past few hours. He couldn't fly around in this area since Lucinda was probably on the look out for him. She might have let him run off because of that other woman and her knights, but now that he was in the clear again it was open season. Of course, that other woman was a point of concern for him as well.

"Hmm?" Negi tapped his foot when he stumbled across a street. He turned his head to the right and he found an intersection with some stoplights to regulate the flow of cars. "You've got to be kidding me..." Negi mumbled much to Chachazero's amusement. The little puppet could already sense her master's frustration as he set his sights to the left. There before his eyes was a town in all of its heavenly glory! He could almost hear the angelic choir singing up high. There were stores, a few buildings and a some strange structures that looked like something out of some sci fi movie but what caught the magi's attention most of all was the row of pay phones lined across the sidewalk. There were already some people occupying them, but luckily for him there were two that weren't in use near the end of the row.

"It looks like we've been near some civilization after all." Chachazero remarked with an evil cackle. "Makes one wonder how you weren't able to sense it."

"Don't rub it in." Negi told her with a grin. "Well..." Negi approached the row of pay phones with a big smile on his face as he dug in to his sleeve pocket to get some change. "...It's time to drop master a line." Negi pictured Evangeline's face when she'd hear about what he had been through for the past thirty-seven hours...yes, he counted. When he reached one of the phones, the young woman next to him stole a glance at him and quirked an eyebrow at his messy appearance; not to mention the large staff that was wrapped securely to his back.

"Let's see...what was that number?" Negi thought aloud as he picked the phone off from it's receiver. "Oh!" A look of excitement flashed across his face when he remembered. _Wow...that trip sure has made me kind of parched. I should..._Negi's thoughts trailed off as he breifly turned his attention to the young woman beside him who was talking on the phone. She looked at the young magi when she noticed his eyes on her and offered him a friendly grin as a light blush crept up on her cheeks.

_N-NO!_ Negi turned away quickly much to the girl's amusement since she believed he was simply a little shy. What followed after that was her explanation to the person she was talking to as to what she was giggling about. Obviously that person on the other line wasn't happy with her at the moment._ I can't think about that sort of stuff right now! Master told me not to let my thirst get the best of me! Anyway, I better make this call..._

* * *

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

----------------------------**_  
_**

Evangeline took a seat on the couch in the living room as Chachamaru set down a tea platter before her on the coffee table. The android bowed to her after she handed the chibi-vampire a cup and went off to the corner of the to retrieve her violin from it's case with it's bow. Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously at her servant for a moment as Chachamaru started playing and shrugged her shoulders before taking a generous sip from her teacup. It was actually kind of nice to have a drink with some soothing music to keep her entertained.

"I wonder what compelled her to start playing..." Evangeline mused as she set down her cup. She had to admit that the android was playing pretty well and the passionate expression on her face as she moved the bow across the strings of her violin was quite believable. _As if Chachamaru could actually feel passionate about the music she's playing._ Evangeline laughed at the very thought. That would be the da-- Evangeline suddenly became aware of the phone ringing.

"Negi?"Evangeline stood up from the couch and walked to the phone quickly as Chachamaru stopped playing her violin. The eagerness in the android's eyes as she watched her mistress pick up the phone was unreal. Chachamaru had been waiting for Negi to call again since she started to pick up on some instruments. She wanted to inform him about her progress with them, and of course, there was a bit of information to be passed on. An opportunity to gain a favor was one that could not be missed.

"Hello?" Evangeline greeted Negi, placing a hand on her hip.

_"Good afternoon Eva!"_ Came Negi's excited voice.

"So you managed to escape..." Evangeline allowed a relieved expression to wash over her face since her underling wasn't in the room with her. "...That is something I wasn't expecting."

_"What do you mean?! Don't you have any faith in me at all?!"_

"With McVicar around?" Evangeline chuckled darkly. "I didn't think you'd stand a chance against her temptress charms and if you did I expected her to immobilize you and keep you prisoner until you submitted to her persuasive methods." Evangeline sounded simply evil when she spoke her last words. "It was either that or she probably would have sucked you dry to spite me."

_"...Not one to beat around the bush, eh?"_ Negi asked as he scratched his chin. Now that she told him that, he seriously didn't want to cross paths with Lucinda again. It was disturbing enough for him when the Dark Mistress tried to seduce him in to spending the night with her in her bed and he knew where that would have lead to if she managed to entrance him with her eyes. These "Persuasive Methods" as Evangeline saw fit to call them wasn't something he was looking forward to either. Not that she needed to know that he almost had one of those experiences, or the fact that another one of her old acquaintances was now aware of his existence. Boy, she wouldn't be pleased with hearing that.

"I need to be straight forward with you about these things if I expect you to make smart decisions out there in the world without me around." Evangeline stole a glance at Chachamaru who had been standing beside her with her usual dead panned expression. The odd look in the android's eyes contradicted the impassioned look though. "By the way, Negi..." The vampiress turned away from her servant. "I want you back here at Mahora by December, whether you find anything about the curse or not, is that understood?"

_"B-but, Eva, that isn't even enough time for me! I'm having enough trouble as it is making progress with all of these mishaps."_ Negi whined. The sounds of his deep voice due to his older illusion mixed with his whining made a vein pop out on Evangeline's forehead. Some things still had not changed with her disciple despite his travels and as much as that relieved her it also annoyed the hell out of her too.

"I don't care!" Evangeline yelled as she slammed her free hand against her forehead. "Your bratty student's are getting on my last nerves already! All they do is mope around and ask me about you every time they see me!" Evangeline wouldn't dare let him know that she was sort of moping around herself with his absence. It was getting pretty boring without having someone to torment. "And don't get me started on Kagarazaka and Konoe. The least you can do is show up on Christmas for them!"

_"Y-yes, m-master!"_

_I've still got it._ Evangeline thought with a grin when she heard Negi stammer uncontrollably. "What did I say about calling me _master_ anymore?"

_"I m-mean, Eva-chan!" _He corrected himself immediately._  
_

"That's better..." The vampiress purred before looking back at Chachamaru who had been apparently hovering over her now. "I think Chachamaru wants to speak with you."

_"She does?"_

"Yeah." Evangeline handed the phone over to her servant before walking off with a side-glance. All of this emotional development that Chachamaru had been making was really beginning to disturb her. She wasn't accustomed to seeing the android so giddy about something and she wasn't about to be either.

"Good afternoon, Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted the magi.

_"There's a voice I haven't heard in a while!" _Negi remarked playfully. His words made Chachamaru's face heat up. Just the very sound of his voice was enough to make her react in such a way.

"I have eagerly awaited the day to hear your voice again as well." Evangeline rolled her eyes when she heard the android say that. How is it that she could say something like that to Negi? Evangeline couldn't even help to say something like that. It just wasn't her style. The vampiress listened intently as Chachamaru informed Negi on her progress with the violin and the piano. Then she mentioned some recipes to the young magi and suggested that he tried it out some time on his travels. Apparently the android had been giving him lessons in cooking some time before he departed from Maharo. Why wasn't she aware of this?

"...I'll have my way with him when he comes back." Evangeline smirked mischievously. "I'll rock the world beneath his feet."

**____________________________________________________________________________________**

**________________________________________________  
_**

**_Some time later..._**

**_-------------------------------------------------_**

"Thank you! You are so kind!" Negi almost had tears in his eyes as he accepted a glass of water from a young girl he met standing in front of a house he stopped at as he was wandering the town.

"You're welcome mister." The girl said with a smile before the door to the house opened. Her mother stood at the door with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot with a look of annoyance plastered over her face.

"Mellisa, how many times have I told you not to speak with strangers?" She saw the glass in Negi's hand and cleared her throat. "...And not take care of them..."

"But this guy looks really nice!" The girl pouted. "He has a really cute doll with him too!" Her words made Chachazero roll her eyes, unnoticed. She hated it when people kept on calling her that and yet she couldn't say they were wrong.

"A doll?" The older woman shot Negi a disturbed look after her eyes wandered over to Chachazero for a brief moment.

"Oh!" Negi pointed to his familiar. "It was a gift from my younger sister before I left my home. She didn't want me to forget her so she gave it to me as something to remember her by." Inwardly Negi laughed at the thought of how Evangeline would respond to his lie. He would probably never hear the end of it if she heard that one. He finished drinking the water and hesitantly handed it over to the girl. "Thanks again!"

"You're welcome!" She cried out giddily.

"Get back inside Mellisa." The woman ordered her daughter, running a hand down her own face with a sigh. "Go watch your...cartoons or something."

"Alright mommy!" When the girl ran back inside the mother turned back to Negi with a mellow smile.

"I'm sorry about that stranger."

"T-that's alright!" Negi assured her. "Your daughter saved me! I was about to die of thirst." The young magi joked light heartedly.

"It's just you never know what's going to happen to your children these days with all those wacky freaks around now." She placed her left hand against her forehead as she shook her head and asked, "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Negi sympathized with her.

"Huh?" She opened one eye. "You have a child?"

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then how would you understand?"

"...I guess I wouldn't..." Negi found himself feeling a little confused.

"Then don't act like you understand."

"Erm, sorry." He apologized. _I wonder what's her issue..._

"Heh! I'm just messin' with ya!" The woman suddenly looked younger as a mischievous grin danced across her lovely lips. She extended a friendly hand and introduced herself. "My name is Felecia Kerrigan! Like I said, I'm really sorry about all that."

"That's fine! I mean it."

"And your name is..." She trailed off for him to answer.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Negi apologized, massaging the back of his neck with his free hand. "My name is Negi Springfield! Nice to meet you." He let his hand drop back at his side when she let go of it and she observed his appearance.

"What's up with the weird clothes mister? Are you traveling or something?"

"Yeah." Negi patted his traveling gear for some emphasis. "I'm just, uh, doing some exploring. You know, expanding my horizons."

"Well, that's a refreshing change! These days teenagers are more interested in shopping or clubbing. Say now, you look young enough to be my son." Her words made Negi blink. Surely this woman wasn't that old was she? He'd taken the form of a seventeen year old at most. He was afraid to use his older disguise since Lucinda recognized him well in that form and she could've been anywhere at the moment.

"Um, how old are yo-"

"Hey!" She cut him off. "You should know better than to ask a woman her age."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!" Negi suddenly didn't feel so comfortable around this woman. He had better find an excuse to make his escape. "I'm seriously starving. Do you know where I can get something to eat?"

"Sure I do." She pointed to a place somewhere behind him. "We have a restaurant in town that's pretty famous for it's Chinese cuisine." She leaned over a bit and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Rumor is, the cook is some mad scientist involved with the mafia or something. Now I don't know about the whole mafia part but the whole mad scientist bit sounds pretty believable. You can always hear something exploding in the middle of the night because of her bizarre projects."

"Her?" Negi asked. This female cook was a scientist as well? Something about what he was hearing was beginning to give him goose bumps.

"It's just the gossip of women!" Felecia waved her hand casually as if to brush aside the very thought. "Most of them are just jealous because the girl is quite pretty. Every guy goes to her restaurant just because they want their chance at her but she's always much more interested in her work than men. Don't get the wrong idea though! Her cooking is phenomenal as well! My daughter always begs me to take her there, heheh!"

_As much as I hate to think it...this woman is really talking up a storm! Looks are pretty deceiving, huh?!_ Negi felt a bead of sweat threatening to slip down the side of his forehead. "Um, what's her name?"

"Well, well...is mister Springfield interested in her already?" She joked.

"...Sure." Anything to get this conversation moving.

"Well...I just know that her last name is Ms. Chao. At least that's what the waitresses there address her by."

"C-Chao?" Negi stammered, not expecting to hear the name after such a long time.

The woman appeared to be interested by his response. "Yep. Um, do you know her?"

"It's, er, complicated." He answered her, massaging the back of his neck sheepishly. "Where is that restaurant again?"

"Just head down the west street. You can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Negi bided her farewell quickly and made his way to the town square to find the west street. He was walking so fast that Chachazero needed to get a firmer grip on his hair. This was the moment Negi had been dreading yet at the same time his curiosity screamed for him to find the connection. If he was lucky this woman might be his connection to Chao Lingshen and why not? He already tangoed with a Dark Mistress and got pursued by some knights under order from another to boot. Why couldn't his luck work to his benefit for once...or was this meeting destined to be like all the rest?

"Oh god. No, please!" Negi banished the thought from his mind.

"What's the matter, master Negi?" His familiar asked, tapping his forehead from her perch on his head.

"Erm...nothing."

* * *

There was something about stepping in to a restaurant and being stared at by the occupants that could make a person feel unwelcome. This feeling did not go unnoticed by Negi as what happened to him was just that. He assumed that it was his state of dress that captured the attention of everyone eating. It wasn't everyday that someone walked in to a restaurant with a large staff fastened to their back and an odd looking puppet sitting on their shoulder. The young magi didn't really seem to mind the attention as much, however, when the aroma of the food being cooked in the kitchen reached his nostrils. The wonderful smell had his mouth watering in no time at all.

"Just like Chao..." Negi said softly, comparing the aroma to the one that would have usually been scented around Chao's mobile restaurant.

"Um, sir?" the young woman at the reservation desk called his attention. She had to be somewhere near the end of her teens, with short brown hair and complimenting, chocolate eyes. Freckles dotted her face, giving her features a cute charm. She didn't seem like much of a smiler though. The expression on her face spoke of a youth filled with too many responsibilities to enjoy the leisure moments in life.

"Yes?" Negi asked.

"We have a coat check." She approached him, her eyes wandering over the features of his face dreamily. "Would you like us to relieve you of your staff and jacket until you're done eating?"

"Well..." Negi had to think about that. He really had a problem with parting with his staff. It was the last thing he had from his father besides the scar on his cheek. "Is it alright if you just took my jacket? This staff really means a lot to me."

"I suppose so." The young lady answered. "Oh, what a cute doll. Is it a gift?" Her eyes gleamed a bit at her words. She must have had a thing for dolls.

"From my little sister." Negi answered, as he took Chachazero in one arm before pulling from the sleeve of his jacket with his other hand. When he managed to get his jacket off he handed it to the young woman and she took it to the room behind her desk. She returned a moment later, handing him a ticket before asking, "Are you eating alone?"

"Yes." He replied, sitting Chachazero on his shoulder again. The girl regarded Chachazero for a moment when she noticed how perfectly balanced the sadistic puppet was on his shoulder, but her eyes didn't linger too long much to his relief.

"Follow me." She beckoned him over to her and he did so, allowing her to lead him past a few occupied tables toward an empty one in the corner next to a window. After he got himself comfortable in one of the chairs she leaned over him and asked, "Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Iced tea would do me just fine." Negi answered her with a friendly smile.

The girl felt her heart flutter under his gaze. Maybe the job had its perks after all. "Sweetened or unsweetened?"

"Sweetened please."

"Alright then." She nodded before turning to leave, but the young vampire called her attention again before she got too far. "Yes?" She turned her body to face him again, the sides of her lips twitching upward slightly. Chachazero resisted the urge to cry out, _"NOT INTERESTED!"_

"Could you please tell me the name of the owner?" His question made the girl sigh.

_How typical! I knew this guy didn't just come here for the food. They never come around here just for the food! _She thought with a low growl. She actually thought he was pretty cute. Why did he have to be here for Ms. Chao?! "Her name is Ms. Chao." She answered.

"I meant her first name." Negi specified with a gentle smile to make the girl feel comfortable.

"Xue." She answered dully.

"I-I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?" Negi asked nervously. This murderous aura that surrounded the waitress...was it normal?

"No." she answered with a sigh. "I'll be back with your drink."

Thanks." Negi smiled. When the young woman was away he sighed and bowed his head slightly as he leaned against his staff. "I am so nervous right now."

"Why?" Chachazero asked. "You don't think McVicar will track you down here do ya?" She felt her master shiver when she said that name. Apparently he still had not gotten over his meeting with the Dark Mistress. "Sorry bout that." She apologized with a giggle.

"I almost forgot about her." Negi groaned. "Thank you for reminding me." He quipped sarcastically. "What I'm really worried about is Ms. Xue."

_You and my mother were very close Negi-chan. Everytime she spoke to me about you, she always had this dreamy look in her eyes. Kind of like you were her prince charmi-_

"That was the most awkward conversation I had with Chao-san." Negi massaged the back of his neck as he pushed the Chinese girl's words in the back of his mind. From what she told him this woman was going to be making a big impact on his life, or rather he was going to be making a big impact on "HER" life. "You know..." Negi narrowed his eyes in deep thought. "...Chao never told me just _how_ she was related to me."

"What are you getting at, Master Negi?" Chachazero asked, narrowing her eyes. "Think she might be closer to you thank you than you thought?"

"Eh?" Negi sweat dropped at her words. "What do you mean?"

"She might be your dau-"

"N-no! Of course not!" Negi cut her off loudly, getting the children sitting in the table in front of him to glance back at him like he was some sort of crazy. Negi cracked a grin to make them look away and sighed again. His heart felt as though it was going to burst forth from his chest at the tempo it was beating at. "Maybe I should have informed Eva-chan?"

"Eva-san would never let you hear the end of it if she found out that you were mending bonds while you were away from Maharo, master." Chachazero told him. "Oh, here comes the waitress." The puppet allowed herself to flop lifelessly against him again.

"Here you are sir." The young woman said as she set his glass down on the table. "Ms. Chao will be with you shortly."

"Um, excuse me?" Negi tensed.

"She's going to be here to take your order personally."

"W-why?"

"I told her that you asked for her."She answered before taking her leave. "Ciao!" Negi's jaw dropped as the waitress walked away. Why did she do this to him?! He didn't ask to meet her! All he wanted to know was her name...but then again, why did he come here in the first place?

"I confuse myself sometimes." Negi muttered.

"Do you think she's cute?" Chachazero teased.

"I don't know...that really isn't important."

"So you go for personalities, huh?"

"Z-Zero-chan!" Negi blushed.

"I just like to see master flustered." Chachazero chirped playfully. Negi buried his head in to his arms for a moment, but the sound of someone clearing their throat got his attention. Turning his attention to the source of the sound, he felt his throat close up. A woman stood before him adorned in a white, oriental style dress. Her hair was done in buns on the side of her head and her face was simply flawless down to her delicate chin. Her resemblance to Chao was eerily uncanny. He'd never seen a woman who could seem so elegant and yet give off such a child like impression with her mischievous expression. It was no wonder to the young magi why most of the men who dined here came just to get a glimpse of her. Something about her was just so irresistibly appealing and that neck-

_Stop your thought flow! Stop it now! _Negi inwardly berated himself when he felt a pulse in his fangs. He averted his eyes from her neck as best he could. _Geez, what's up with me today? I'm usually far more controlled when it comes to my urges..._

"Hello there." She greeted him cheerfully. "Welcome to my restaurant! One of my girls informed me that you already know my name, so tell me yours?"

"N...Negi Springfield." He answered, causing her to blink for a moment.

"Well..." Xue smirked. "That's a very nice name."

"Thank you."

"Do you know the meaning of your name?" She suddenly asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"...Um..."

"I guess not." She smiled. "Well I'm guessing the name "Negi" has a relation to the name "Nagi" which means, safe. As for "Springfield" I know that "Spring" means to burst forth where as there is a relation to name "Shprintza" which is yiddish meaning, hope." After she was done with her explanation she giggled at the expression on Negi's face.

"V-very informative." Negi praised. "D-Do you...normally tell people such things?" He felt a little unnerved when she related his first name to his father's name but other than that he just learned something today. This woman was seriously Lingshen's mother. There was no doubt in his mind about that with the vibe he felt from her just now. He stared back in to her eyes for a moment before realizing that she may have been awaiting a question from him. "So what does your name mean?"

"Snow." She answered him with a grin before her eyes swiveled toward his staff purposefully. "That's an odd looking walking stick you have there, Negi. Is there a story behind it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, this?" Negi patted his father's staff protectively. "Um, I use it on my travels."

The expression that washed over Xue's face made her look like a scheming feline in his eyes as she giggled, "Interesting." Almost every pair of eyeballs belonging to a healthy man in the restaurant shot at the young magi coldly once the woman slipped herself into the seat across from him. Negi did his best not to sweat. "Negi," She smirked at him in a way that made him question her personality. Something told him that her cheerful entry into the conversation might have been an act to deceive her customers, "I normally don't meet with my customers like this, but something about you stands out."

Negi fought the reflex of biting his lip. Hearing those words come from her mouth was sounding alarms within him for reasons that spoke for themselves. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"Because I've met people like you before." Negi's eyes widened, though not so much at her words as to the fact that there was now something puncturing the meat of his leg beneath the table. It felt like some kind of...needle? "Though I honestly expected something more from those pricks from the council. An amateur like you?" A genuine look of disgust came upon her pretty face. "I'm insulted."

"What...what did you just do to me?" Negi asked, feeling the needle get pulled from his skin.

"A little something to keep you calm." She stood from her seat and gestured for him to stand. "Come with me." This was an order.

Negi stared up at her with a dumbfounded expression. Maybe he wasn't supposed to feel the effects until he moved, but-- "What are you going to do with me?"

Xue looked annoyed. "Look, Springfield, you're in no position to question me. There's an anti magic device sending pulses of energy throughout the restaurant to keep you from trying anything clever. As far as I'm concerned you're nothing more than a mundane like the rest of us, so..." She held out a hand to him and a knife shot out from her sleeve. She caught it and held the scalpel-like tool to his face with a smile, "Come with me and make it easier on yourself."

"...Okay." Negi stood up from his seat a little too easily for her tastes. "Soooo...where am I goi-"

"Why are you so calm?" She quirked a brow at him.

"I don't know." Negi answered her honestly. "I mean...you don't look bad, and I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Xu blinked a few times before nodding her head a few times as if coming to a silent conclusion. "You know, you're good."

"...At what?"

"Just come with me." She placed a hand on his back and nudged him forward. "If you're a good boy I won't hurt you."

"If you say so." He reached for his staff--

"No." She calmly grabbed his arm to stop him, "Leave that here and come with me."

"But it's mine." He almost whined, his expression

"Whatever. I'll have one of my girls bring it later." She said casually, trying her best not to lose her guard around the odd young man. With the way he was responding to the situation it almost appeared as though he seriously didn't see anything wrong with what she was doing. Normally a person would be spouting threats or begging for her to let them go, but he was just going along for the ride. "Okay?"

"Thanks."

She found herself blinking again. "Shut up and get moving!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am." He nodded quickly, moving forward.

"Er...that's right." She told him, though lacking the energy to make it sound like there was a threat behind it. "And...don't talk to me."

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_I AM ALIIIVE! That's right, the series has finally received another installment, which proves to me that my creativity is still intact somehow. After the long summer and that horrible re-entry into the school year that I experienced (Registering for classes is a real $#%) my mind was sort of in a slump...Kay, it was much worse than that, but I'm all better now. I hope. Well, this is becoming a bad habit. Anyway, there you have it. I haven't revealed much about the aftermath of the 3-A war, but as you might have guessed, the plan failed. As for for Mana and Kaede, or Ku-Fei for that matter. Well, there was a reason why they weren't present in that scene. It's kind of hard to attend class when you're injured. They're not vampires, after all, but for how long, I wonder..._

_I'll think about it._

_Lemme see. I wanted to give Reina Tepes some more screen time, but it would have conflicted with the plans I already had for the story. Allowing her and Negi to meet personally this early in the story would have been disastrous for the flow of the series because...well... I doubt she would go as easy on him as Lucinda would, and tragedy has absolutely no place in the story yet. Then there's this and that, and everything else. Where's the fun in letting the party blow out so early? The after party shouldn't come until everyone is drunk on the fun and beverages._

_Oh yeah, I noticed that some of the comments were directed at me from the last chapter. That interlude was written by SpiritBlade. Reina Tepes is a character from his own creative mind. That aside, I'm very glad to have such supportive readers, and I feel that I haven't been forthcoming about that soooo._

_1. SpiritBlade: _To the writer who helped in the foundation of this tale, you're awesome. While your constant references to White Wolf and The Masquerade leave me dizzy, I appreciate all your help. I need to check out what you're talking about most of the time, though. You're leaving me behind.

2. Keikun4283: To the reader who has been there since the very beginning, I thank you. Your first reviews are one of the contributing factors to the story's life span.

3. AznPuffyHair: A faithful reader with a pen name that always leaves a weird image in my mind whenever I see it. I can always depend on that smiley face appearing at the bottom of your reviews to scream. UPDATE SOON! (^.^) Maria will be making her appearance soon! I I can get those next few chapter of 'At Your Side' into the series, perhaps even sooner.

4. Sweet Heavens: S'up? What ever happened to that tournament fic you told me about last year? It never showed up on the site! Well, your support is always uplifting, and your questions are always direct. What more can I ask for? Your soul? That's not such a bad idea.

5. kenakamatsu: You popped out somewhere towards the middle of the first FVA and I was like, "NOOO! I'M GETTING SUED!"

6. aaden cameron: Hey, I'm happy to please ya, and I'll do my best to win your heart. Even if I have to play dirty.

7. Daughter of Ether: Still dong my best to impress. Well, okay, so I've lost a bit of my vigor from before, but give me some time shape up again. By the way...who's that cat on your avatar. Fan created, or from an original work. It's been nagging at me for a while now.

8. AJ Katon: To a fellow writer, keep on moving forward.

To the others I have not addressed, I'll make a spot for you in the next chapter.

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_Question Time_

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**Q. **What role does Mei Sakura have to play in this?

**A. **The focus on Mei will have a lot to do with Takane and her grip on humanity, as well as playing temptation to our young hero.

**Q. **What happened to all the flashbacks you did in the original fic?

**A. **The flashbacks was a device to introduce the figures of Evangeline's past. That way people won't be like, "Who the hell is L..Lucin...what's her name again?"

**Q. **When does Chachazero get her artifact and have you figured out yet how a soul less creature like her can get one?

**A. **Ken got there before I did. Of course, don't expect the kiss to be like the one Negi shared with Chachamaru...ahem.

**Q.**Lastly Evangeline...I thought you were isolating Negi and her yet they can do telepathy stuff where before he had to phone her? Could you clarify this for me or did I misunderstand and it was all a dream?

**A**. Negi was reminiscing about a moment he shared with his master in the past. The cause? Home sickness.

**Q. **Is it Negi's natural looks or his vampire charm/aura that seems to enrapture all the ladies? I'm sure there are gonna be at least a few jealous male vampires wanting to take out Negi for good. I have to still ask but will Nagi ever make an appearance besides flashbacks? Are you gonna put Nekane also, it'd be interesting to see her and Negi's friends from Wales react to him being a vampire.

**A. **Vampire charm, and yes, Negi will encounter a jealous vampire here and there. As for Nagi, I want to utilize him in the story, but I can't seem to find an opening anywhere that won't spoil his role. Nekane and the others at Wales will appear occasionally, though Anya will be coming in contact soon.

**Q. **Are you majoring or minoring in writing in college or is FVA and BYE just an awesome hobbie?

**A. **Majoring in creative writing, and yeah, this is just a hobby. If my book does get published sometime after I'm done with it, expect to hear about Dark Mistresses and Lords somewhere in literature, though.

**Q. **For what reason is Fate going to meet up with Negi?

**A. **Secret.

**Q. **Is Reina going to be one of those Dark Mistresses that follow Negi?

**A. **If they don't end up killing each other first.

**Q.**In the previous story 'Fang Vice Addiction', Dorothy had two personalities because of the time line (Present and Future). In the Dorothy from the Future, she would use every thing and anyone that she can get a hold of to have Negi in her grasp, even his daughter. In Dorothy on the Present Time (Well, since this is By Your Enrapture not Fang Vice Addiction) She Seemed Sweet yet Egotistical (Like a Kid I mean), but is still quite frightened by Vampire Hunters like Katherine even if she had become dark a Century (or Centuries) ago.

So, why is it so?

**A. **TIME PARADOX!

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_**Take care**__**,**_

_Traingham_


	15. 00, Redux

Disclaimer: _I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter -00-: The Holiday Saga I_ _{1.0}_****_  
_**

_By Traingham_

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_(A.N/ Takes place one year after Dorothy's death...)_

Christmas time had come to Mahora Campus once again, and with it the holiday cheer that awoke students early in the morning to jump out of bed and participate in the many class projects that were being organized around the school grounds by the various clubs. Students wrapped in sweaters and scarves walked through the snow covered walkways, huddled together in their cliques as they headed off to the campus library to make up for all the quality time they had neglected to honor with their books, while those whom had been more dedicated to their studies openly mocked them by running through the snow with their friends, lobbing snowballs at each other without a care in the world of how their bodies would be affected by the long term exposure to the elements. Seniors and juniors that had already gotten through their midterms celebrated their freedom for the remainder of the year by congesting the Starbooks early in the morning with their fellow soldiers, enjoying the spoils of hot drinks and pastries in their attempt to drown out the anxieties that plagued them of their unannounced exam scores. Meanwhile, girls who were more concerned about fitting into the new party dresses hanging in their closets, jogged across the campus like there was no tomorrow. Such was the everyday routine of the campus, and the teachers watched on as a sense of deja'vu crept up on them for yet another year in their teaching careers...with the exception of one.

"I don't get it..." Asuna Kagurazaka peered through the frosted window of her dorm to spy on Negi Springfield as he ran aimlessly through the blinding whiteness that stretched out within her view. Konoka joined him outside, spread out on the ground in the process making her fourteenth snow angel, while Chachazero simply reveled in the child-like joy of her master, flailing her arms from the top of his head as she cackled from the infectiousness of their holiday spirit. "...How could they be this energetic so early in the morning?" She intended to keep at the window and watch on, but a knock at he door pulled her away, reluctantly one might add.

It warmed her to see Negi and Konoka out there together. Those two had become quite close and despite the fact that she found herself fighting back a twinge of jealousy every time she acknowledged as much, she still found appreciation in knowing that her little dorm family was so close. "I'm coming." The red-head muttered, reaching out to the door as she approached it. "Yeah?" She swung it open to reveal Setsuna and Makie on the other side. The crow demon had on a white fleece jacket with a black scarf, while Makie opted for a light pink, winter jacket with the hood pulled over her head. The mischievous look plastered on the latter's face informed Asuna of their reason for visiting from the very get go.

"Looking for Negi?" She asked them, knowingly.

"Yep!" Makie exclaimed with a wide smile. Setsuna, on the other hand, merely nodded without a word.

"You'll find him beside the building with Konoka." She jabbed a thumb toward the window far behind her. "You can't miss him..." She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Konoka tackling the young man to the ground. It was hard to see how he was fairing against her since they disappeared from view, but by the looks of how much snow was being kicked up in their struggle, Konoka must have been putting up a pretty good fight. "Believe me."

"Oh! They got started without us!" Makie threw her fists down like an angry child before waving Asuna farewell. "See ya!" With that she dashed to the double doors down the end of the hall and pushed through them without missing a beat.

Asuna grinned despite herself, "She is such a child."

"Certainly seems so." Setsuna nodded in agreement, a faint smile gracing her lips as if recalling something amusing. "She caught me as I was making my way here."

"So aren't you going to head out with her?"

"I'm not up for it right now," Setsuna shook her head, looking over Asuna's shoulder at the view of the window, "I'd rather wait for sensei and ojou-san to come in. They look like they're getting rowdy out there right now."

"Coming in then?" Asuna stepped aside for her to enter with a gesture of her arm. "I've got some hot chocolate going right now, if you want some." The young swordsman accepted her offer, stepping into the dorm as she went on to say, "I see no reason for me to refuse your offer."

"Great! I needed the company." Asuna closed the door when her friend walk past her and followed her inside to the main room. Setsuna unzipped her jacket and folded it over the side of the couch against the wall before curling up on one of the cushions with a satisfied groan. A moment later Asuna returned from the kitchen with two cups of hot chocolate and handed her one, sitting on the cushion beside her. After taking a sip, she sighed with a lazy expression on her face. "This is what I needed."

"You look like a worn old woman when you do that." Setsuna commented with a straight face, getting the red-head to perk up instantly.

"Ugh." Asuna straightened out her back and regarded her friend with a grin. "Don't say that."

"It's true, though." The crow demon lifted the cup to her lips and drank. "You look tired. What have you been doing so early in the morning?"

Asuna shook her head, "It has nothing to do with today, not entirely, anyway. I was busy last night, securing the school ballroom for the party that Negi has prepared for the class. It was pretty difficult since the seniors had already been bothering, _Headmaster Konoe,_ about having their own party there before classes let out for winter recess."

"And he allowed it?" Setsuna asked, her expression showing some doubt.

"Well, yeah!" Asuna answered her with a pleased grin. When her friend grew more skeptic at her answer she clarified, "He said that it was the least he could do for us...you know, considering all of the trouble we've been through for the campus."

"It does make sense." Setsuna finally nodded. "Does the rest of the class already know about this?"

"With the exception of the class rep, not exactly." Asuna replied before she rolled her eyes. "Although Negi did tell everyone that he would have something special waiting for us at the end of the year, so I'm pretty sure everyone expected something like this."

"..." Setsuna suddenly became rather quiet, averting her eyes from Asuna.

"...You're just realizing this?" Asuna leaned over to get her attention, but the crow demon turned her head away slightly as a tinge of red colored her cheeks. In all honesty, Asuna actually expected something like this to happen. Negi was dense when it came to things relating to this sort of nature, so he probably figured that the girls would have been comfortable coming to the party in casual clothes, or even their school uniforms for that matter. Instead of telling the girls something a little more helpful like _"Make sure you have a dress by the end of the month since I have something special planned"_, he went for a far vaguer approach, which provided the explanation for why Setsuna's reply was-

"Yes." She answered timidly.

Asuna didn't want to ask, but, "So is it possible...that you don't have a dress for the party tonight?" A wave of nausea passed through the red-head when the swordsman shook her head in embarrassment. Setsuna was one of the sharpest people Asuna had the pleasure of knowing, and so, there was much to worry about when even she was not able to pick up on Negi's subtle message. Well admittedly, it was a very cleverly concealed message and when one considered that it was given by Negi Springfield...a person who couldn't take a confession of love at face value if it tackled him to the ground and nibbled on his earlobe...things became quite helpless.

"I do not." Asuna was met with another negative response.

"Well..." Asuna looked past Setsuna, far into empty space. The blank look that appeared on the red-head's face worried the swordsman, getting worse when Asuna turned her head to regard some invisible presence occupying the room with them, saying, "This looks like an emergency, huh?"

**_[B}_{Y}_{E]_**

Circular tables draped with wine colored cloths and centered flower arrangements were lined beside the ballroom windows on the left and right side of the campus ballroom in an orderly, arching fashion. The elegance of the windows were accentuated with red, pinch-pleated sheers that were pulled in, so as to allow those who were attending the party to admire the wonderful view of the city lights late at night. The arching, glass doors at the end of the room that lead out to the balcony were decorated with drapes of the same color, and a long table was set a fair distance in front of it; presumably where the food would be set upon. At the center of the room was a towering Christmas tree that almost touched the circular dome ceiling, decorated professionally with ornaments, garlands and a star at the top. It was all so beautifully arranged, which was expected since it was all orchestrated by Ayaka Yukihiro. Not that she went through all the trouble of decorating the room herself, (_her maids and butlers were the ones appointed with all the work_) but with the way she stood at the center of all of the busy activity, wearing a proud smile on her face, any person would have been fooled into believing as much.

That all changed when Asuna and Setsuna bolted into the room...

Having finished listening to the situation as Asuna so frankly laid out for her, the class president's lower jaw might have hit the ignition button right there and shot through the floor at record breaking speeds if her body allowed it. If what the red-head said was true, then that would spell irreparable disaster for the surprise that her beloved teacher had planned for the entire class and that was something that she would simply not have! She had plans of her own for Negi Springfield, and if his plans ended in failure, then her plans would follow. Its not like she was doing all of this for free...well, actually she would do just about anything for the young teacher, but...explanations were unneeded.

"Gather everyone here!" Ayaka ordered fiercely, a fire burning in her eyes. "We're going on a shopping spree!" And at her cry, all of the women in the world saluted her and wished her godspeed. Negi Springfield's pants would be penetrated!

...wait, what?

* * *

**_{F} [V] {A}_**

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**_[ Focusing on Mr. Springfield ]_**

"Negi?" Mana cracked open the door of her dorm to see the young magister waiting for her, sans, his other half _(Chachazero)_. In the past she found his cheerful disposition to be rather unnerving, but she had gradually come to tolerate it. "This is a first, isn't it?"

"You weren't at the shrine today," Negi cleared his throat, still unable to keep himself together whenever he was under her piercing gaze. "And, um, you told me that I could come visit you here if that was the case." He looked to her in wait of some sort of response, but Mana appeared content to watch him squirm there. Her hair looked damp so he assumed that she might have just gotten out of the shower, but she kept the door open at a certain angle so he couldn't be sure if she had any clothes on. This was a little awkward for him. "Is this a bad time?" He asked her timidly, feeling his right foot edge back as if he were getting ready to retreat.

"When has it ever been a bad time?" Mana asked, her expression unchanging.

Negi felt the heat rising under his collar as he replied, "Well, it's just that you look like you just got out of the shower, soo-" He saw the door swing open fully and he slapped his right hand over his eyes out of reflex.

"Negi," As she spoke his name he felt her body heat right in front of him, "Do you think I would open the door if I was naked? Open your eyes."

Realizing how stupid he must have looked, he lowered his hand out of embarrassment only to be met with more skin that he expected. True, she was not naked, but all she had on was her underwear and a cream colored robe, which she apparently had no problems with leaving open within his presence. Her body was a natural killer, from her elegant neck to her well proportioned breasts, down to her washboard stomach and her enticing legs and-no! A degree of control was needed in order to bring his vampiric side in check and those were the exact sort of thoughts that were not helping him. It scared him that even after coming this far, he still was not completely immune to his _'Dark Ego' _as his master termed it, and from past experiences with Takane and Ako, he absolutely was not looking forward to meeting the person that was lurking within.

_Eva-chan said that me and her would get along just fine if I gave in... _The young magister felt violent shivers tingle his spine as he recalled the conversation he had with his master during their last training session. He wanted to think that she was just teasing him again in her own villainous way when she told him that, but her expression didn't seem very amused. In fact, it was a little wistful as though she were awaiting a long time lover to return to her. _...I should get more credit for the things I put up with..._ He looked back to Mana.

_I'll just come back at a later time, then._ "You know, I'll just hold it off for later." He smiled sheepishly, taking a step back. "I have a few other stops to make and I-I can always come ba-" He stopped himself in mid-sentence when he found her hand on his shoulder. "Er...yes?"

"_Get inside_." With that she pulled him in, closing the door.

"You'll have to forgive me. I just returned from a job a few hours ago." Mana told him, leading him deeper into her dorm and a plain one at that. It was nothing like any of other girls' dorms. There were no picture frames on the wall or posters, although on a sub-conscious level, Negi, found himself expecting this. Mana didn't seem hold any sentimental value for objects with the sole exception of the locket she kept on the chain around her neck. There were black cases piled atop one another in the corners of the room, however. He probably didn't need to think very hard about the contents of those cases...and soon after realizing that he began to worry about how calm he was about one of his students being a mercenary...or his mentor being a world renown murderer. This must have been what Nekane meant when she warned him about getting involved with the wrong crowd.

"You've been out all night?" Negi asked, taking the seat she offered to him on her couch. Taking note of how firm the cushion was beneath his weight, the young magister came to the conclusion that the love-seat had not seen much use under Mana's possession. She must not have received many visitors, or _accepted_ them if one chose to look at it from a _different_ standpoint. She didn't seem like a very social person to begin with, at least from what he'd seen with her limited interaction with the rest of the girls. To begin with, she didn't appear to have anything of a remote interest in him until they engaged in combat a year ago during the festival. They had become something akin to friends ever since, or at least that was what he would have liked to think.

Mana sat beside him, crossing her legs. "Yes." That chilling smirk worked its way across her lovely lips. "Going to scold me for violating curfew, sensei?"

"N-No...but its not healthy." He replied nervously, unable to find the look in her eyes as she questioned him anything, but predatory. "Can't you refuse jobs every once in a while?"

"I could." Mana answered without hesitation. "But that would only bring damage to my reputation, and at this point, with all of the enemies I've made along the way, I can't afford that." She rolled her eyes before swiveling them back to him. "Then again, if you're so worried do something about it."

"Eh?" Negi blinked, feeling a little put on that spot. "What do you mean? You want me to chase you down and bring you back every night?"

"Of course not." Mana replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Be _my_ partner." Her suggestion blindsided him on the spot

"You mean...come with you on your assignments?" Negi stared at her incredulously, sure that she was just mocking him for being constantly worried about her. "I couldn't do something like that. I mean...I'd just get in the way, and...well..."

"Hardly." Mana assured him. "You have far more potential than you're willing to admit to." Negi felt himself shrink in the corner of the couch as the lovely marksman leaned over to him, a curious leer on her exotic features. "Think about it, Negi. Strip away at all of those formalities," She leaned closer. "that insistence you hold toward righteousness; Are we really such radical opposites?"

"...Yes..." Negi nodded shakily, feeling as though he'd lost a few years of his life. "...Unfortunately...we are." He heaved a sigh of relief when Mana pulled back from him.

"I don't expect you to see yet." She leaned back, resting her cheek against her hand. "But you'll come to understand it eventually. You are _'Dark Evangel's'_ disciple, after all."

"Why do our conversations always go down this path?"

"You bring it out of me." Mana replied. "Why?"

"I wanted to talk about a much lighter subject."

"Fine. I'm open to new subjects." Mana repositioned her crossed legs.

"I want you to attend the Christmas party that I'm holding for the class tonight."

"I decline." Mana was quick to shoot him down, the equivalent of sinking his ship into the depths of the pacific.

"J-Just like that?" He cocked his head to the side, his spirit weakened by her cold attitude. "Won't you even consider it?"

"I'm not interested in stuff like that." The lovely marksman yawned. "Besides, I might receive another call tonight. In the unlikely case that you did provide me with a valid reason to attend, my schedule still wouldn't allow it."

Negi felt himself rise a little in his seat, "But it wouldn't feel right if you didn't come."

"You wouldn't notice a difference, sensei." Mana assured him, her piercing gaze sharpening somewhat as she made her retort. "It's not as if I've been present to any of your past special gatherings."

"Even if you say that..." He stood up with a sigh. "...well, I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"..." Mana said nothing.

"If you won't come, then I won't push you." He stepped toward the short hall leading to the door and turned around before he took his leave. "But if you do decide to come, I'll be waiting for you. I mean," He scratched the back of his head with a small grin, "I don't know what you would consider a valid reason to come, but...um...how about a dance?"

"Is that supposed to be your idea of enticement?"

"I won't dance with anyone else unless my first dance is with you." Negi challenged. "So what do you think?"

...Mana blinked...

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**_{F} [V] {A}_**

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**_[ Later at Satsuki's Bar and Grill ]_**

"So apparently, I'm benched for the night." Negi explained to Chachazero, munching on the hot bun Chachamaru served him afterward. He allowed himself a moment of bliss as his taste buds screamed out in ecstasy at the exquisiteness of the flavor. "This..." He paused, tears building at the sides of his eyes. "I look forward to this everyday." He was so caught up in the flavor that he didn't bother to acknowledge the feeling of impending doom from behind that his vampiric senses were so desperately trying to alert him of.

"Really?" His familiar asked, intertwining her fingers within his hair in the most sensual manner. "You wanna know what I look forward to every morning?"

"Um..." Negi blinked, wondering why he was getting such a dreadful feeling about the direction of their exchange. "No...what do you look forward to every morning, Chacha-chan?" He didn't see the way the sadistic puppet drew one of her blades, brushing it against her cheek before she replied, "Something I like to call 'Morning Woo-"

"Your love for the food here should carry an 'X' rating, you know?" Negi's body went rigid at the sound of her voice, replacing the feeling of euphoria that had overtaken him a few seconds prior and replacing it with a mixture of fear and admiration, feelings that were directly linked with only one particular individual in his life. Turning around in his seat, the young magister came face to face with, Evangeline McDowell, adorned from head to toe in a dark parody of the traditional Santa Clause suit. The hat and the jacket were black as night, stitched together in certain areas, and she substituted the slacks for a skirt that fell halfway down her creamy thighs with fur trimming at the ends. The rest of her legs were wrapped in striped, high stockings that touched just a few inches above the knees, and she wore black, polished platform shoes. It was yet another one of the many gothic lolita selections that his master kept within her diverse wardrobe. He was not sure if he would ever come to understand her taste in clothing.

Evangeline awaited a response from her underling, but he kept silent, staring at her blankly, "Are you going to greet me, boya?" Her question snapped him out of his daze and he nodded his head quickly before responding with a, "G-Good morning, Eva-chan!" He practically hopped out of his seat and offered it to her, which she wordlessly claimed for herself without hesitation. To his dejection his hot bun happened to be a part of the deal as she picked it up from his plate and took a bite from it. Chachazero was also in low spirits at her former master's appearance, though the reasons were far complex.

"Um..." Negi reached out for it hesitantly, but she popped the rest of it in her mouth and gestured for Chachamaru to approach the bar table.

"Yes, Mistress?" The gynoid inquired politely with her usual bow. She took a moment to glance at Negi, inwardly feeling sorry for his stolen meal, but there was nothing she could do about it. The most she could hope for was that Evangeline decided to make up for it somehow...in her own way.

"Bring me three more of these." She looked to her disciple with a wicked grin. "Boya will pay for them." That felt like a demonstration of her making up for it in her own way. There was a merciful side to the vampiress after all.

"Yes, Mistress." She replied, disappearing into the kitchen to do as she was order, but not before sparing her _older_ sister a furtive glance.

"So what is on the agenda for today, boya?" Evangeline asked, the fanged grin still present on her face. "You've been a busy boy, haven't you?"

"Yeah...you could say that." Negi nodded carefully. "I was actually planning on seeing you after I was done eating."

"Were you now?" The expression on her face shifted to that of interest. It had been quite a while since they had done anything together that did not involve her wiping the floor with his half conscious body. Negi had been a stranger to her ever since he moved out of her home and it really...well...it certainly did not make her feel neglected, mind you. It's not like her days were lonely without having someone to scrub her back in the morning, or join her in drinking the morning tea, or be her personal stress reliever when the world seemed that much more difficult to deal with. Honestly, you were reading too much into it. "What for? I don't feel like training you today."

"Oh," If he had dog ears they probably would have perked up happily at her response, "That's good to hear!"

Evangeline blinked, "...Why does it piss me off to hear you say that?" Even Negi was able to detect the gloom from her when she said that.

"N-No!" He held out his hands reflexively. "I didn't mean it that way. What I meant was, since you don't feel like training today, why don't we do something different for a change?"

"Eh?" The chibi-vamp eyed him suspiciously. "Different?"

"Yeah!" He held out a hand to her, drawing her eyes to it. "When was the last time you had fun in the snow?" His question must have made the vampiress blank out, because she just stared at his hand and did nothing more than that. "Eva?" He called to her when she made to response to his question.

"What?" She snapped out of it, whipping her gaze to him again."Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Huh?" It was Negi's turn to blank out, stammering, "A d-date? Um, no it's n-nothing like that!"

"It sounds like one to me." Evangeline insisted, leaning forward in her seat to take his hand.

"I'm sorry if you, um, took it that way." Negi did his best to explain his intentions, noticing how his master's grip was becoming rather painful.

Evangeline narrowed her eyes, "Well, what else would you call it?" She hopped off the stool she was sitting on, causing him to flinch back at her unexpected advance.

"I don't think there is a word for it, actually." He stepped back.

"There is, boya." She smirked, stepping forward. "It's called a date."

"But its not!"

"It is."

"But-"

"Quit being spineless, dammit!"

"Ohgoddonthurtme!"

**_[B}_{Y}_{E]_**

Negi and Evangeline walked hand in hand through the winter festival attractions that were in the middle of construction. The young magister wore an expression of interest and wonder, while '_Her Deep Darkness' _appeared to be rather bored with what she saw, which was to be expected since it was nothing new to her. One could only wonder how many times she had been through the same thing, year after year, since Nagi had imprisoned her on the campus grounds. It was probably akin to watching a movie reel repeat itself over and over again. The only thing that broke the monotony of the scene was the fact that she had someone to join her in her boredom of the world.

"It doesn't take much to put a smile on their faces, huh?" The chibi-vampire mused, observing a few female students hopping around their recently finished, stand up of Santa Clause. They all slapped each other high fives and rushed over to a group of other girls that were part of their project to inform them of their success. Evangeline rolled her eyes when the other girls practically dropped everything they were doing to run over to the wooden stand up and proceeded to danced around it. Two of them even started jamming on guitars...that were invisible to anyone but themselves.

"Well, it's the holidays," Negi said, drawing her attention to the smile on his face, "People can't help but be cheerful around this time of year."

"Says you." Evangeline quipped. "I don't feel any different." Said the girl who was wearing a Santa outfit, and Chachazero was quick to point it out.

"Well, you look like an active participant!" The puppet said, reaching out to flick the puff ball at the end of Evangeline's hat. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear that, Eva-san." She ended her sentence with her usual evil cackle.

Was it disturbing that Negi found himself thinking it was kind of _cute_ whenever she made that sound? He figured it was bound to happen at some point, but if this kept up he feared that he might even start to find her blood lust appealing.

_That will be the day. _The magister inwardly scoffed, though he wondered if it was out of genuine revulsion of the thought, or an attempt to convince himself that he wasn't sinking any deeper into the dark side than he already had. Shaking away the thought with a chill, he turned his attention back to his master, just in time to catch up with the conversation.

"It just happened to catch my eye. So what?" She glared at the puppet before setting her sights back on her underling. "You're awfully quiet, boya. Don't you have anything to say on the subject?" The look in her eyes was expectant.

"About your outfit?" He asked, getting his answer in the form of a stiffly raised eyebrow. He was not exactly sure why she happened to be so touchy today. If she didn't like the outfit, then why did she even bother wearing it? Anyway, he could continue staring at her like an idiot and incur her wrath, or he could give her a straight answer and risk the possibility of making the situation even worse than it already was...Well, at least the second choice had more going for him.

"It's just my opinion," Negi started off, not taking notice of how the vampiress edged closer to him as he spoke his mind, "But I personally think it looks cute on you."

"Oh," A light blush tinged Evangeline's cheeks despite her usual expression. "Well that's fine." She turned her head away from him, "N-Not that your opinion means anything to me!"

Her response stung her underling, "Um...okay." He looked away for a moment, unsure of how else to react before an idea came to mind to lighten the mood somewhat.

"..."

"..."

"...Ahm...Hey." Evangeline turned her head to look at him when the silence finally began to work her nerves, but—_**SPLAT! **_To her surprise, she was struck with a snowball to the forehead.

"Alright!" The dark girl heard Chachazero cry out excitedly as she wiped her face clean. "That's a bulls-eye, Master Negi!"

Opening one eye, Evangeline caught sight of said young man standing a few feet away from her with a look of horror on gracing his features that simply said- _"THAT wasn't supposed to happen"-_ and true to his expression, the first words that left his mouth were, "That wasn't supposed to happen..."

"What do you mean?" His faithful familiar asked, hanging in front of his face from the top of his head. "That was a perfect hit!"

"She wasn't supposed to turn around!" Negi cried out. He watched as the look of confusion on his master's face gradually replaced itself with a scowl and began flailing his arms in panic. "Not good!"

"She looks pretty pissed, ya know?"

"I admire your knack for observation, Chacha-chan." Negi said flatly.

"Glad to help!" The puppet said cheerfully.

"Thought that was funny, huh?" Evangeline finally spoke, her scowl twisting into that oh-so-familiar evil smirk. "Cute, Negi."

"W-wait, Eva-chan!" Negi pleaded with her. "That wasn't intentional at all!"

"Of course not." Evangeline responded calmly.

Negi blinked a few times, unsure of what to make of her uncharacteristic response. He was pretty sure that she was going to do somethi—_**SPLAT! **_The first one struck him against his left shoulder with such force that he wasn't sure if it had been a snowball that got him, or a chunk of ice. _**SPLAT! **_The second one smashed into his chest, stunning him momentarily. At that exact moment Chachazero's grip on his hair became rather desperate.

"Um, Master Negi!" He managed to make out her voice in his daze, however—_**SHPACK! **_The final one smashed directly into his forehead, taking him off his feet completely. The next thing he felt was the the sheet of snow beneath his fallen form.

"That was completely intentional!" Evangeline called out to him, hands on her hips as she smiled, borderline, viciously. She saw him twitch and reached down to scoop up some more snow, "You still with me, boya?"

"Wasn't that..." Negi leaned forward to get back up. "...a little overboard?"

"Considering what I've made you into," The vampiress molded the snow in her hand into a perfect ball, "I wouldn't even call that a love tap." Her vicious smile split wider when she caught his right hand digging into the snow.

"Well, I still wouldn't call that," He gripped the snow in his left hand and smirked before finishing, "_Even_!" He shot the ball in his hand at his master as he sprung to his feet.

"Pathetic." The dark mistress tilted her head to the side slightly, letting the projectile whoosh past her cheek to hit an unsuspecting student in the distance. The female student turned her head to regard a nearby clique of girls minding their own business and, suspecting their laughs for foul play, scooped up a snowball and launched it at one of them. What followed was as sad as it was, predictable.

"Think fast!" Evangeline retaliated, throwing the ball in her hand at her underling, however, just as the snowball came within reaching distance of the young magister, his right foot shot up and obliterated it from existence with a swift kick. Watching him raise his head slowly as the mist of white powder fell around him, the chibi-vampire felt an odd, pounding sensation in her chest. This feeling...was this excitement?

"Are you going to make it hard for me, boya?" She asked him, looking to his right hand as he winded it for the throw. "Or are you just teasing me?"

"I've told you before, Eva-chan." Negi smiled to her mischievously. "For you, I only aim to please!" He sent the snowball in his right hand flying at her and rolled forward, scooping snow into both hands as he did. As soon as he was back on his feet he did a three-sixty turn and sent another ball in his master's direction without looking.

"Master!" Chachazero alerted him, bopping him on the head.

"W-What?" Negi asked, a tear building in the corner of his right eye from the unexpected bop.

"To your left!" Her master heeded her words and turned in the direction that she alerted him of to find a snowball heading his way. How Evangeline got there in such little time was a myste...well, not really.

"YAH!" Negi clenched his teeth, bending his body to dodge, but the first attack turned out to be nothing more than a feint since—_**SPLAT!**_ That happened...

"You're not pleasing me at all." Evangeline's voice came from somewhere behind him. "You're going to have to play a little harder than tha—_**SHPLAT! **_The chibi-vampire felt herself lose her balance as her vision got obscured by pure whiteness. She wiped her face quickly just as the decoy she hit disintegrated with the wind and acted quickly, kicking the snow up into the air to her rear to deflect a few other snowballs that were sent her way by her cunning underling, and dipping low into a perfect split.

"Pretty flexible, ain't she?" Chachazero commented from her master's shoulder as he kept moving along to serve as a difficult target for the vampiress.

"Sure is!" Negi remarked, ducking in time to dodge a snowball thrown at him by one of the random students that had been swept up in the snowball war. Most of the wiser students stopped what projects they were working on and retreated to safety after realizing how serious it had gotten, however, all of the competitive girls, most notably those who were part of the athletic clubs, remained to fight till the bitter end, either gathering in groups to take out the loners, or deciding it was a free for all and preying on those whom were closest to them.

"Hey, boya!" Negi's attention was drawn back to his master as she pushed her palms against the ground and whipped up both of her legs to kick up the snow around her. Now, normally the snow would have just fallen right back down to the ground, but Evangeline appeared to be influencing the elements with her will, manipulating the space around her so that she was the eye of a small scale, twister. The snow that whipped up around her body formed into snowballs, ready to be launched at him with a simple point of the finger.

"Eh?" Negi's left eye twitched. "S-She's cheating!"

"But you pulled out the snow decoy, remember?" His familiar reminded him. "You broke the rules first! Besides," Chachazero cried out gleefully as another snowball whizzed past them, "This makes things much more interesting!"

"Yeah, well-" The magister stopped himself in mid-sentence to dodge a snowball launched at him by Evangeline. "-She's taking it-" He stopped himself again, rolling to take cover behind a bench as a barrage was sent his way from a group of girls. "-too far!" And almost as if on cue, Evangeline decided to play even dirtier. The bed of snow beneath Negi's feet suddenly took a life of its own and swept him up into the air with a strong gust.

"N-No way!" He cried out, realizing that she had turned him into an easy target for her, and Evangeline showed him no mercy, pointing at him to send the snowballs that had been swirling around her feet launching at his very position. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to dodge those in time, and yet-

"Punch right through them, master Negi!" The sadistic puppet on his shoulder goaded him on, getting a quick, "Gotcha, Chacha-chan!", from him in return before her world was sent blazing past her in white streaks. The young magi preformed a mid-air shundo to destroy the snowballs with his body on impact and descended the rest of the distance within the blink of an eye. From an onlookers stand point, it was like viewing a majestic painting of an angel descending upon a royal demoness. The way the white winds that surrounded Evangeline's body pressed against Negi as he closed the distance gave off the illusion that the young magi had sprouted white wings.

"Hyaa!" Negi let himself drop on his side, landing on the ground with one hand before twisting his hips to the side and letting himself spin like a tilting top, scooping up snow in his hands and throwing it at her with each dizzying rotation. The entire time Chachazero could be heard crying out like a little girl on a roller coaster.

Evangeline, standing no more than a foot from him, jumped back and twisted her body around each snowball that her disciple sent flying at her before preforming her own shundo to crash into his spinning body. The instant she made contact she wrapped her legs around his waist, sending herself for a wild ride as they both kept spinning in mid-air from the momentum, and jerked her own hips roughly to change their course before letting go to send Negi crashing into a heap of snow below them—however-

"Ungh!" Negi grunted, clasping a hand around one of Evangeline's ankles to take her down with him. She reacted quickly, attempting to kick him off, but it was to late for anything by then.

_**BOOMSH! **_The students in the surrounding area of the collision all flinched and stopped what they were doing for a few tense seconds before a stray snowball whizzed by in the silence and started everything back up again. There was no movement at the point of the collision for a few passing minutes as the war went on without the two main players in action, but eventually Negi's hand burst out from the snow, followed by his head, which was abruptly pushed back down into the large heap of snow by Evangeline when she used him for support to pull herself up to the surface. A few students were disturbed by the illusion of the blonde girl's head cutting through the snow in a fashion more fitting for a shark fin , but things settled back into proportion for them when she came out of the heap to reveal that she had been sitting on Negi Springfield's shoulders the entire time, while he was forced to walk them out of it.

Chachazero popped out from the neck line of Negi's sweater and cackled. "That was awesome! Let's keep going!" She turned and looked up at her master's face, tapping his chest with her tiny hands. "C'mon! Let's go for round two!"

Negi knelt down to allow his master to get off and ended his session by whirling around and falling onto his back with a few coughs. "No...I'm fine with this much action for one day." He swiveled his eyes over to Evangeline as she pat herself down and noticed the most curious thing on her lips. "E-Eva-chan?"

"What?" The chibi-vampire turned her attention to him after she was done straightening out her skirt, the usual bored expression returning to her face. It disappointed the young man since he was sure that a smile had been gracing her lips before he called her attention. _A genuine one_, which were quite rare with this particular woman.

"Um...nothing." Negi sighed, turning his head to look away from her as his cheeks warmed to a rosy hue. "J-Just wanted to know if you were okay."

"Of course, boya." She scoffed, rolling her eyes before she purposely fell back and landed on his stomach. "Did you really think a little fall like that would do anything to me?" She asked, looking down at him from her seat on his stomach before kicking a leg over him to straddle him as she rested her hands against his chest. He didn't answer her, simply looking up at her from their questionable position with a nervous expression. Chachazero also appeared to be disturbed by the turn of things, looking up at Evangeline almost intensely in a silent challenge for her to make a false move. If the little bloodsucker was going to try to make use of her master's fatigue to take advantage of him, she had another thing coming with her around.

"...Master..."

"We discussed this, boya."

"I-I mean, Eva-chan." Negi corrected himself, finding himself drawn into her emerald orbs like a helpless moth. "What I, uh...ahem...the actual reason that I wanted to walk alone with you-"

"You should know the answer to that question." Evangeline spoke her answer before he could finish his invitation. "We've been through this once before, haven't we?" Her reply got an unexpected reaction out of the young magister as he narrowed his eyes almost irritatedly, demanding, "But why, Eva?"

The dark mistress stared at him, stunned for a moment before her expression softened slightly. "I've better things than hanging out with a bunch of brats."

"Like what?" Negi asked her, wrapping his hands around her waist to keep her from escaping. She took note of it, looking down at them before returning her attention to him with her usual smirk. He could already tell that she wasn't going to take him seriously. "You'd rather spend your night alone in your cabin?"

"It doesn't matter to me." She replied. "I'm just not one for those things. They're annoying."

"Even if I ask you to be there?"

"Well, excuse me." Evangeline mocked him. "What makes your invitation so special?"

"..."

"...Alright, then." She sighed when he didn't answer her. "Let me ask you, Negi." She spoke his name purposely as she lowered herself, alerting the puppet. "What if I asked you to spend the entire night with me instead? Forget about the other girls and just give yourself to me for the night."

"Huh?" Negi pressed his head back against the snow as her nose came close to his.

"Would you take me up on my invitation?" Her voice was strangely soft. "I am your master, after all. How could you deny me?" Her words struck hard, turning the nature of his protest against himself with her cunning, and by giving in to his feelings he was playing right into her hand. He could have proven her wrong right then and there by telling her that he would have abandoned his plans for the girls in favor of her for the night. He could have...but it would have been a lie.

"Eva...that's not fair."

"I know it isn't." Evangeline grinned as she leaned in. "But since when have I played fair?" She bared her fangs, closing in on his neck.

"W-what are you doing?" He tried to turn his head, but his earlier hunches about their position were true. She had been mystifying him with her eyes the entire time they had been talking, and she intended to make good on what she had been craving from him since they met back at Satsuki's bar. She was lusting after his blood this entire time! "C-Couldn't you have just asked!"

"Where's the fun in that?" The blonde vampire moaned just before-

"HEY!" Evangeline instinctively drew back when Chachazero cried out at the top of her—well—she didn't have lungs, but...anyway, "WE HAVE A LIVE ONE HERE!"

Evangeline, annoyed by her former puppet's interruption, growled, "What the hell are you talking abou—**_SPLAT!_**

* * *

Chachamaru stood at the bar with the plate of hot buns that Evangeline ordered waiting in one hand. She should have anticipated this treachery from her mistress. The only reason McDowell even bothered coming to the restaurant was just to snatch away her Negi, and she just turned her back and allowed it!

"Perhaps it is my destiny to be without happiness." The gynoid said to no one in particular, bowing her head with the emotional lag in her gears. "Perhaps if I had been made a puppet instead of a machine, my life would be much different."

"Chachamaru!"

"Ah...an error in my main processor." She mused at the sound of her teacher's voice. "Perhaps it is time I went back to Hakase-san for a check up."

"Hey, Chachamaru!" Negi's voice called out to her again, coming closer.

The gynoid turned her head to see the young magi running to the bar and her gear efficiency suddenly went up ten fold. "N-Negi-kun?" She regarded curiously as he stopped across from her, panting as though he had come a long distance to return to her. That almost sounded romantic now that she though back on the image. "You've returned? I was under the impression that you had gone somewhere with the mistress."

"Um, yeah, I did." Negi apologized to her uneasily. "I'm sorry about that."

"That is fine." She assured him before asking something else that had been piquing her interest. "Where is Zero?" Her inquiry made the young magister flinch as though it caused him to remember something that he much rather wanted to forget.

"Oh...er...Chacha-chan?" Negi asked stiffly, doing his best to force a smile. "Well...Evangeline needed her for something...so I won't be getting her back until later tonight."

"Ah," Chachamaru nodded, seeing through his act. "I see."

"..."

"..."

"My victory, then." The gynoid suddenly said out of the blue, catching Negi off guard.

"What?"

"Nothing." She lied quickly. "Would you like the rest of these buns?"

"Thank you!"

"The pleasure is mine."

* * *

**_{F} [V] {A}_**

**_

* * *

_**

* * *

**_Fast-forward to later that evening..._**

Rule one to hosting a party: Never be late to your own party. You simply did _not _want to break that first rule. There was no such thing as being fashionably late to your own party unless it was your own surprise party and even then, that was with the assumption on everyone's mind that you had absolutely no idea that it was going to take place. What was taking place now, as all of the girls of class 3-A stood around the Christmas tree at the center of the ballroom, adorned in their classy dresses, which were so full of variety and uniqueness that to make note of all of them was to ask too much of a lazy story teller, was what the writers of the rule book called _"rude"._

"Where is that squirt?" Asuna stared expectantly at the tall, glass doors that served as the main entrance to the ballroom, with her hands on her hips. "How could he be this late for his own planned event?" The tone of her voice was, predictably, that of annoyance.

"Maybe he just remembered something on the the way down here and went back to get it?" Konoka offered a rather detailed excuse for the young magister.

"Or perhaps he went to get McDowell." Setsuna guessed, standing beside the bubbly Konoe, as was her respective place whenever the healer happened to be present within the same room with her. "Eva-san isn't present, so it may not be far off to assume as much."

Asuna's expression grew grim at the crow demon's guess. After getting him back from that evil nocturnal, she was hoping to bring the young magi back to the proper path. So far she considered her efforts to be somewhat successful, with Chachazero being the only source of interference. The only problem with that was, while he was spending less time with McDowell, he had suddenly taken a strong liking to Mana Tatsumiya. "I'm going to hope that you're wrong about that."

"But I think it would be wonderful if he convinced Eva-chan to come!" Konoka giggled melodically. Let it be known that if there was ever a paradise, there was a grassy knoll surrounded by flowers reserved for Konoka Konoe and a guest of her choice.

"You'd hug Satan if you thought it'd make him feel better, huh?" Asuna casually quipped at her friend, getting question marks out of her.

"Saint Hen?" The bubbly Konoe questioned, cocking her head to the side cutely.

"Ah," Setsuna's sudden gasp brought both girls' attention to her as she pointed to the main entrance, "It would appear that sensei has arrived."

"Finally." Asuna humphed, watching the class president's maids attend at both doors to open them for the newest arrivals, and the swordsman's instincts were spot on, revealing the sharply dressed young magister and his elegant date of choice for the evening, Chachamaru. Needless to say, if murder was legal there would have been a lot of nice boats heading out on shore right now.

"_**Sensei!" **_All of the girls gathered at the entrance, blocking Negi and Chachamaru's way before they could enter any further. A few shoves and complaints later and Chachamaru found herself completely cut off from her lovable teacher as he was devoured by the large mass of school girls. The gynoid was left to stand there awkwardly, somehow feeling robbed if that was the appropriate term for what just happened to her. From all of the rough shoves she received from her fellow classmates, the word _'mugged' _seemed more like it. She had better watch her back in dark alleys from now on...

Bringing the attention back to the victim, Negi's hair was already a mess as the girls fought over his moe inducing cuteness. "Um, uh..." The young man tried to speak as he was squeezed between more than he could handle. "G-Guys? Just hold on a minute!"

"Teach looks so tasty in that tux!" Misa cried out a little too enthusiastically, perhaps enough to make a few of the other girls back off of him a bit. They didn't want to give each other the wrong idea, after all. They were proper young women.

"Oh, disciple!" Ku-Fei was an exception to the facade, stepping in while the other girls stepped back and bringing him close to her chest like a teddy bear. The lack of, um...cushion made it easier for him not to resist his master's amorous advance, "Why you take so long to come?"

"Oh, right...about that," His response was apologetic as he did his best to get comfortable in the chairman's embrace, "I'm sorry if I came late! I had to take care of a few things before I could come. I hope you can forgive me."

His apology was taken rather well by the girls, getting understanding nods and warm smiles from most of them. A certain red-head and net idol did not appear to be so forgiving, but he was sure that they would get over it as the night progressed.

"Um, anyway..." Negi paused a moment to gather his wits. For some reason he found that his usual composure was not with him, in front of his students, this particular night. Seeing all of them gathered, dressed so beautifully in front of him, stirred emotions that he had not anticipated.

"...Sorry guys. I'm feeling just a little hot under the collar right now." His words elicited a few giggles while a few others softened their expressions in silent understanding. "So we've come to the end of our second year together and I've got to say, its been a pretty wild ride so far, huh?"

"_**Yeah!"**_

"_**Whoooo!"**_

"_**And who should we thank for that?"**_

"_**Class 3-A rocks!"**_

"All of you have made me proud. You've all faced numerous challenges, tackled on the hardships of adolescent life, and have managed to do so with inspiring confidence. It really makes me feel accomplished to know that I've been fortunate enough to bear witness to it. Of course," He grinned mischievously, "It's far from over, but you all deserve to hear a bit of praise every now and again..." He cleared his throat, "...Still, things never last forever and when we take them for granted, they slip through our fingers, especially the things that we treasure most."

"_Sensei?" _A few of them became uneasy as a sad smile crossed the boy's lips.

"I treasure all of you." He came right out with it. "When I first came here, I didn't know how things would be, so far away from home. I wasn't sure if anyone would accept me, or if I'd make any actual friends around this campus aside from Takamichi. I felt lost and unsure of everything, but I realize, _now_, that I was just being silly worrying so much. "

"What I gained from being a teacher here was more than I expected. What I found weren't friends...but family. I came here to be a teacher and ended up becoming a student to all of you in the process. I know now what is courage, what it means to smile to myself when all seems hopeless...what it means to accept my own weaknesses and improve upon them so that I can accept the individual that I am. These values would not be instilled within me today if not for all of you, which is why..." Negi cleared his throat a second time, "I wanted to say,_** thank you**_."

By the time the young magister had finished his speech, his students had just about reached the end of their tolerance, but before they could run forward and fight amongst each other for the honor of comforting him, he held a hand up to halt all of them.

The eyes that had been gleaming seconds ago with unshed tears had become unusually cool and wise. Kaede and Setsuna had to blink twice to make sure that someone had not switched places with their dear teacher. Even his voice sounded slightly deeper as he spoke to them, filling the room with a somber tone, "You know...time has been and always will be unfair—"

"—_Boya. It is the eternal reaper that always takes and never compensates. Days of youth slip through your fingers like sand, innocence becomes lost and you are forced to make compromise. Friends and family leave you with bittersweet memories and in time...you forget the things that meant most. You forget what it means to smile, what is means to love, or value those you treasure. Unfortunately, we don't stop to savor them all until its too late, because time is constantly ever moving, pushing, demanding from us until there is nothing left but regret. Don't fool yourself, Negi...don't be a slave to time. Make your memories_—_"_

"—Treasure what you have now before it drifts away, because nothing is eternal. We all come to understand that eventually—some...more than others." Negi remained silent for a moment as if to honor someone within his heart before raising his head and stunning all of the girls with a charming smile that literally appeared from out of nowhere. "So, Merry Christmas every—URK?"

"I'm so moved! I'm so moved!" Ayaka cried out with tears in her eyes, squeezing the young magister until his eyes bulged from their sockets.

"I'm glad...to hear that...Ayaka-san!" Negi choked out. _Although it disappoints me that two other women couldn't make it here tonight. _His expression grew slightly melancholy as he stopped struggling against his student's death grip. One girl in particular saw the subtle shift in his mood and decided that it would have been best to confront him about it later.

When Ayaka finally allowed him to go free, he turned to her. "If you took over from here, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course, sensei!" She replied with a bow of her head. "Take a seat at the main table. I'll meet with you shortly." She gestured to a few maids tat were standing by for orders and they offered a polite bow before heading out to being in the food and drinks. Meanwhile the music began playing again to signal the end of Negi's speech for the evening.

Negi, seeing his chance to get out onto the balcony, said, "Actually, I think I'll just head outside for a bit."

"In nothing, but your tuxedo?" The class president stared at him as though a screw had gone loose. "Are you trying to get sick before the end of the night?"

He winked at her and went off, calling back to her, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"...If you say so..."

* * *

"I had a feeling I'd find you out here." Negi leaned away from the balcony rail and turned to see Chisame coming out from the ballroom area. She closed the door behind her softly to keep from alerting the other girls and strolled toward him, her champagne colored dress swaying lightly with the breeze like the gentle flow of water. Her hair was let down so it followed the playful motions of her dress as the wind caressed the side of her face.

"Why did you get that feeling?" The magister asked, putting on his cheerful mask once more.

"Because I'd come here if I wanted to escape from them." The net-idol stepped over to the rail and leaned against it, folding her hands on the marble. "And with that face you put on earlier, I figured you would come out to cool down."

"Huh?" Negi played innocent, joining her at the rail. "What do you mean?"

"You're far easier to read than you think, sensei." Chisame said, rolling her eyes at how hard he was trying to fool her. It almost made her mad. "I don't know why you're so determined to be a closed book."

"I don't want to spoil the mood."

"Well, sure." The young woman scoffed at his reply, "As if that speech back there didn't do anything to get those girls emotional. If you went on any further they might have started bawling."

Negi nodded to himself as though he had just realized the impact of his words, "...Yeah...I s'pose you're right. Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"No." Chisame shook her head with bitter smile. "You did good saying that. It's refreshing to have someone speak their honest mind every now and then."

"...Wow..." Negi turned his head away slightly and the bespectacled girl caught it from the corner of her eyes.

"What?" She asked, turning her face to look at him.

"Oh, nothing," He lied to her, grinning out of her view as he repeated, "Nothing."

"Are you grinning?"

Negi turned his head to face her, dropping it quickly with a, "Nope. I'm not grinning at all." His words earned him a rough nudge in the rib.

Chisame scowled at him, "I didn't come out her to be made fun of, you know."

"I'm not doing anything like that at all!" The young magister assured her, "It's just...this is the first time we've actually had a personal talk. I like it!" His cheerful smile got her blushing.

"Um," She bowed her head to hide it, "Y-Yeah...whatever. Anyway...did you mean all of that?"

"Every word." He replied without so much as a bit of hesitation, almost having the poor girl choke on her own spit. When he saw her flinch he leaned over again to see if she was okay, but she pushed him back with one hand to have him keep his distance from her.

"Stop acting so grown up," She raised her head to look at him, clearly annoyed, but still blushing up to her ears, "And watch what you say to older girls. You might give us the wrong impression."

Negi cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in misunderstanding."What are you talking about?"

"God, this just proves you're a kid."

"I don't get it..."

"Yeah, well, maybe that's a good thing." She cut the subject quickly before grumbling to herself, "Future enemy of women..."

"You know," Chisame returned her attention to him when he suddenly spoke, "It's really a shame." His statement had her quirk a brow curiously.

"What is?"

"That you're not like this all the time." And to top off his words, he flashed that damn smile at her again. It was almost enough to give her shivers whenever he did that and she hated it. He probably noticed her discomfort because he took a step back. "Um...did I say something wrong?"

"Let me get something straight with you, sensei. If I seem different right now, for any reason, it's probably because you bring it out of me."

"So-"

"And let's leave it at that!" Chisame cut him off. "Anyway, look...this is getting a little awkward, so why don't we head back inside and get something to eat?" She jabbed a thumb in the direction of the door, "The freaks are probably looking for you as we speak. You don't want them to tear the place looking for you, right?"

"I suppose not." He shook his head.

"Come on, then." She brushed a strand of hair away from her face and held out her hand without thinking about it.

"R-Really?" Negi was hesitant to take her inviting gesture making her realize what she had just done. Her hand went down to her side quickly, "What do you mean 'Really'? Would you come inside, already?"

"I will." He nodded quickly, taking a step forward to follow, but he suddenly stopped.

"What?" Chisame blinked. "Why did you stop like that?"

"...Give me a moment." He stepped back from her, gesturing for her to go on without him, "I'll be inside in a bit. I just want to check something out first."

She cast him a suspicious look for a moment, but when she realized he was serious she nodded her head. "Fine. Just come in when you're done. Its unhealthy for a guy your age to be antisocial." Satisfied with what she told him, she headed back inside, letting the door make a noise as it closed behind her, most likely so that one of the girls would come out and drag him in if he did not hold to his word.

"She doesn't give herself enough credit..." Negi muttered to himself with a chuckle before he turned away and proceeded to the very side of the balcony, away from view. There he met her, sitting on one of the stone benches overshadowed by a marble statue of a naked, winged woman. She sat there casually as though she fully expected for him to come find her, adorned in the white jacket that he gave to her as a gift a year ago from tonight.

Negi, for one, was stunned, "You...you came?"

Mana smirked, her piercing eyes favoring him with their usual intensity. He was accustomed to being under their gaze by now, though it did nothing to alleviate the chilling sensation that passed through him whenever he was. "I just happened to finish tonight's job ahead of schedule, so I saw nothing wrong with dropping by." She stood up and approached him, her heels clicking against the stone tiles beneath her feet rhythmically.

"_I'm going to assume that you're still holding that first dance."_

Negi smiled sheepishly at her and held out his hand.

"_**Of course."**_

_**

* * *

**_

**_[Happy Holidays]_**

* * *

_May your days be safe and full of happiness._

_May your lives be rewarding and filled with affection._

_May you hold on to your youth and be true to yourself._

_Love,_

_**Traingham...**_

_**

* * *

**_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_A Tatsumiya side story: Empty Shells and Blood Red Roses_**

**_

* * *

_**

"Oh, so good to see you again, monsieur Springfield!" The formally dressed hotel concierge, a relatively young woman with short curly blonde hair greeted the vampire once her eyes fell upon him, entering through the revolving doors at the hotel entrance. Negi Springfield looked to her in acknowledgment of her call, standing tall in his head turning, fully matured physique, the fine results of his vampiric illusory magics at work. He was dressed sharply, his body wrapped about by a dark as night, double breasted suit, but the innocent expression on his face clashed violently with the suave outfit he had on, much as if he had not personally selected it for himself, but was made to wear it by another individual. "Your fiance told me to pass on a message to you when you returned."

The look in his eyes went blank for a moment, giving her the impression that he had completely forgotten ever having been engaged to anyone in his life, but a sure sign of intelligence eventually made itself apparent on his handsome features effectively putting her doubts aside. "M-My- fiance!" He exclaimed, curiously enough, just now realizing who she had been referring to. "Did she happen to leave while I was out?"

"She did." The concierge replied, a bit of disapproval in her voice, almost as if she did not particularly like his companion. "She said that she would be gone for a while, so not to worry in her absence."

The vampire nodded, understanding fully what she meant by the message. "I see." He told her, making to leave after responding, but she didn't appear to be finished with him just yet.

"She left in the company of another gentleman." With the way she informed him, her voice underlying with conjecture, Negi could not help but get the feeling that she was trying to imply some unfortunate circumstances. Obviously, what individuals Mana dealt with on her own time was far from being part of his business, but given the roles they shared in their false identities he supposed there was some discomfort to be expected in digesting this information, and the woman at the desk appeared determined to get it out of him.

"Oh, that's fine." The magister took the unexpected route in their exchange, directing a charming smirk at her much to her bewilderment and gradually rising pulse. Being in the presence of this young man was doing things to her that she had not experienced since the youthful days before her college graduation, a number of unspecified years in the past. She just wanted to climb over the desk right then and there at that moment and drag him down to the floor over on her side, but she managed to keep in control of her arousal...or at least she managed to maintain that illusion as she stared into his bewitching eyes. A five minute cooling break in the restroom would be in order when she got through her conversation with him. "I trust her to take care of herself without me." With that response Negi offered her slight bow of his head and turned away to walk toward the elevators, feeling slightly more confident in the role he was playing.

But—_How long is she going to be away? _The sharply dressed nocturnal thought to himself, coming to a halt in his step to stroke his chin as he let his gaze wander through the impeccably polished marble hall. He wondered just how much Mana had dropped to get them reservations at this hotel...but anyway, since it was still technically the afternoon (_They arrived late last night_) the guests of the hotel were mostly out in the city going about their tourist tendencies, but there were still a few gathered in the bar watching sports on the telly or conversing over a drink.

_I don't really want to spend the rest of the day in the suite..._ Negi thought, finding the idea of lounging up there a bit lonely. Mana had a couples suite arranged for them, however, the size of the room more than accommodated their needs in his personal opinion. It felt more like a large apartment than a simple suite, akin to something like a penthouse suite with the obvious differences. In other words, being alone in that places was depressing and Negi always considered himself a social person despite his somewhat timid nature.

"The bar, it is." The young magister decided with a small grin, redirecting himself away from the elevators. "It shouldn't be too much trouble." He said to no one in particular as he walked through the bar entry way, a form of self persuasion that he had come to depend on whenever he found himself in unfamiliar territories, something which had expanded vastly since he took to the dark mantle that was placed on his shoulders by his mistress. To put it simply, the world looked very foreign when the people that walked the streets became something you could relate to the packages of meat you found in the refrigerated aisle.

The people in the bar didn't turn to look his way when he entered and he was grateful for their obliviousness. He usually found it awkward when people stopped what they were doing to stare at him alertly whenever he walked into a room. It reminded him of the way meerkats would turn their heads in the general direction of their predators whenever one stalked near their habitat, which, in this particular case, would have been ironically accurate if it happened. Of course, back at Mahora he always found that the circumstances were reversed, he just wasn't sure why. He found himself a vacant booth in one of the dim corners of the bar and took his place there, letting his back sink into the cushion with his legs crossed.

A waitress approached his table before he settled in fully, opening with the expected question of, "May I serve you a drink, sir?" Her tone was pleasant, undoubtedly practiced due to the nature of her occupation but carrying some genuineness at the sight of a fresh, young face.

"Iced tea, please." He answered politely, flashing her his usual smile out of reflex as he did, where in turn she looked at him curiously, probably wondering why he would walk into a bar only to order a non-alcoholic beverage. It passed quickly though since she offered him a polite nod and went off to get him his drink.

He took that moment to settle in comfortably, studying the other occupants of the bar. They were mostly men in business suits, sitting at the bar with their attention either directed at the flat screen hanging at an angle above the shelf of liquor bottles behind the male bartender, or the PDAs gripped in their sweating palms. A few of them had female escorts at their sides, but the women appeared to hold far more interest in their martini glass than their partners. One person caught the young magister's attention most, however; A solitary, blonde haired woman sitting on the other side of the bar, idly swirling a glass of wine in one hand while the other hand rested under her chin as she looked to the window at the far left of her.

He couldn't see her face since she was turned away from him, but there was something attractive about her, made elegant by the formal wear she had on, a black suit jacket with matching slacks and dress heels. The black, leather gloves on her hands drew his eyes for a fleeting moment, having him instinctively look away from her. Something about them made her feel dangerous.

"Here you are, sir." Negi flinched when a voice called his attention from the side of him. He turned raised his head to meet the waitress's eyes as she held placed his drink in the table.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She told him with a courteous smile, though it faltered slightly when her eyes swiveled to regard someone beside him. Wait—

_Huh? _Negi felt the edges of his mind tingle in a silent warning, urging him to turn his head in the other direction to find that someone had decided to take their seat beside him. Someone he had been staring at seconds ago...

"Uh..." Negi opened his mouth, meaning to say more, but he could not find the words to continue.

"Another glass, if you would?" The blonde woman told the waitress with a lazy smirk as she held her wine glass up to her.

"...Of course." She obliged her, accepting the glass hesitantly, seemingly intimidated by the presence of the newcomer. The way she hastily returned to the bar to refill the woman's glass made the young vampire a little nervous being left alone with her, especially now that her green eyes had assigned him as her main focus. Why did it feel so dangerous to make eye contact with this woman?

"I couldn't help but notice that you were alone, Red." She spoke to him in a brazen voice, confident and straight forward, yet filled with an overly familiar warmth as if she were talking to a long time friend. "Don't you know its best to keep friends nearby in places like this? You never know what kind of shady people you'll run into." She grinned at Negi when he finally looked at her. "Now there's a handsome face if I ever did see one. You must have a lucky girl waiting on you to return somewhere, right?"

He blushed at the shameless question, "N-No. Not really."

"Oh, I see." She smiled at him like a scheming feline. "You feel like a girlfriend will hold you down from doing the things you want? Is that it?"

Negi shook his head timidly, doing his best not to look too vulnerable in the face of her questioning, "Erm, no. It's nothing like that, actually." His response made her expression soften sympathetically.

"So you're the shy type, I take it, huh?" Her voice was a hint playful.

"...I guess you could say that." He replied, finding a smile tugging at the sides of his lips. "I've never really thought about that sort of thing. Girlfriends, that is." Admittedly he never fit any of the girls back at Mahora into that sort of category, least of all Evangeline McDowell or Mana Tatsumiya. Those two didn't seem like the types to actually waste their time finding affection and fulfillment in another person's company, and their personalities were simply too frightening to envision it. While the vampiress had her moments when she showed her _'affection'_ for him it was usually expressed in such a frightening fashion that Negi wasn't sure if she valued him as a companion, or as her personal property, and the lovely marksman had already expressed long ago that she thought nothing of loving another, despite the fact that she saw him as a close friend and partner.

"I don't envy you types." The blonde woman sighed, resting her arms on top of the back rest of the booth, encircling Negi with her right arm in the process. Negi wrinkled his nose discreetly when he took note of something out of the ordinary, something that only added to the particular oddness of the woman beside him. Where was the scent of her blood? One of the things that he had acquired upon becoming a nocturnal was the ability to tell people apart by the scent of their blood, and yet she was completely scentless. Perhaps she was empty, as absurd as that might have been.

"What do you m-mean?" The young magister responded curiously, debating with himself whether he should move away from her, or tolerate her touchiness. There was no doubt in his mind that she was very aware of what she was doing, but her actions didn't seem to have any ill will behind them and while the strange vibe he received in her presence put him slightly on edge, there was still a sense of warmth that exuded from her odd mannerisms.

"Where is the adventure in being afraid?" She asked with a charming smile. "Where is the exploration when you're too afraid to take the first step? How can you enjoy life when you're afraid of the dangers and responsibilities that accompany _living_? After all, loving another person is one of the central parts of living. It's what allows us to understand, to grow, and it inspires that desire to better ourselves that normally slips away when we're shrouded in doubt."

Negi smiled back at her awkwardly. "I suppose you have a point there."

"Now that's the proper attitude!" She exclaimed happily.

"Excuse me." A voice brought her attention away from Negi.

"Yeah?" The odd woman turned her head to the person that called her attention, the waitress having returned with her wine glass in hand. "Much appreciated!" She accepted it from her and set it down on the table, losing interest in it quickly much to the insult of the waitress, but she simply walked away, relieved to be out of her service. The blonde didn't even bother to take a sip of her drink before continuing her conversation with the young magister. "Aren't you going to drink that?" She inquired, pointing to the sweating glass of iced tea that had remained untouched by Negi since it was served to him.

"Oh-um-yeah." Negi nodded, reaching out for the glass and taking a sip, but- "Aheck!" He coughed as soon as the liquid poured down his throat. _What the...? _He held the glass away from his lips to study it. _There's alcohol in this drink?_

"Something unexpected?" The woman asked with a knowing smirk. "Expecting a virgin, I assume?"

"Well, yeah, actually." He replied, feeling a little betrayed.

"Can't trust everything to be without its secrets, Red." Her words sounded a little ominous, but the expression on her face remained friendly nonetheless.

"Red?"

"I don't know your name, so I figured I'd give you a title." She told him with a smirk, placing a hand on the top of his head to play with his hair so that he understood the meaning behind the name. "Something to know you by, unless you wanna introduce yourself properly?"

"Hm..." Negi studied her expression for a moment before he answered, trying to dissect a reason not to trust her. "My name is Negi Springfield."

"What a beautiful name, truly one that had much thought put into its creation." She complimented him affectionately. "Forgive me if that sounded a bit weird, but I'd been looking forward to hearing it for quite some time. I feel that exchanging names is a very important part of forming a bond with another. It allows you to associate those wonderful feelings that you feel whenever the person is near, with a title, one that you can say to yourself and treasure." She cleared her throat, puffing out her chest proudly. "As for me, I am Tribal, Lillith Tribal, master adventurer!"

"An adventurer?" He tried not to look skeptical. "Really?"

"Why, yes." Lillith assured him, the smile returning to her lovely lips. "I am an adventurer of all things, but my personal favorite would be the journey of the heart."

_I feel like I should have expected this... _Negi thought, his eyebrows drooping. "Sounds romantic..."

"It is, but the journey has been lonesome, coming this far." Her eyes fixed upon him mischievously. "I've been searching for a partner to join me."

"Yeah?"

"Which is why I want for us to elope." And at her words Negi could not help but choke on the spit that had been accumulating in his throat, because he certainly did expect something bizarre to come from this conversation, but he just went ten and she went the full ninety without giving him a chance to brace for the impact. Worst of all, she still had that charming expression on her face, saying all things to him but the joke he wanted to hear. She honestly wanted them to run away together as lovers.

"El-Elo-I'm sorry, but you want us to what?" Negi leaned away from her, removing her fingers from his hair. "That's kind of extreme! I mean, we've just met and you want to do that sort of thing after one conversation?"

"I know, I know." She gestured for him to calm down nonchalantly, unfazed by his immediate response to her proposal. "You think we should get to know one another first, test the waters to see if we're compatible for each other, but where is the fun in that?" She leaned in close so that they were almost nose to nose. "Don't misunderstand, Negi. It's not as if I just walk up to every guy that catches my eye to propose this sort of thing. You're the first, and my intended last. You're one of a kind, after all."

"One of a kind?" He tried not to appear as nervous as he felt when he heard that familiar line. "I wouldn't go that far."

Lillith brought her mouth to his left ear, making his face burn crimson when he felt a warm rush of air tingle it, "Even modesty can be a sin at times, ya know." She ended her sentence with a kiss on the cheek before pulling away from him and standing up. "I'll give you a day to think it over." She winked at him, licking the side of her lip with a suggestive flick. "And don't worry about finding me. I've got your scent." With that she turned and left, leaving her untouched wine glass with him at the table.

To the young man's credit he managed not to allow fear to overcome him after hearing her parting words. Instead he was just a little unsettled by the conversation he just had, but not for the right reasons, unfortunately. See, while most hot blooded males would have been rightly concerned about the fact that a woman had just offhandedly claimed to have their scent memorized, thereby having the ability to track them down if she felt the need to find them, Negi Springfield was far more concerned with the fact that-

"She's serious about this?"

-And nothing else. Meanwhile, in an unspecified location in the world, Evangeline McDowell was overcome with the sudden urge to punch someone square in the nose. Opening the door for her, Albireo Imma didn't get the chance to ask her why...

**_..._**

**_..._**

"Mana?" Negi called her name as he entered the hotel room. He closed the door behind him and walked to the casual quarters to find that the room was empty and tidy, with no traces of the mess that they had left behind after their morning breakfast. "Manaaaa?" He called to her again, being met with silence a second time. Confirming that much, the young magister slipped off his suit jacket and hung it in the coat closet with a lonely sigh. He then walked to the couch and plopped himself down on it, reaching one hand up to his neck to undo the top buttons.

"It sure is taking her a while to get back. Sure, chances are she can take care of herself just fine if she runs into trouble, but it still doesn't make me feel any less worried." He mumbled to himself, unsure whether to be upset with her or himself for going along with her on the trip. "She could at least keep me informed. I'm useless to her if I don't even know where she is." He closed his eyes and stretched himself out on the couch with a long yawn. He slept undisturbed the night before last so it was difficult for him to slip into a peaceful slumber last night, especially since Mana had some sleeping habits that he was not especially keen to comment on. The young vampire spent the entire night sitting it out on the balcony, looking up at the moon and stars. (Not a full moon, thankfully.)

"No trouble in sleeping until she gets back." He said in a dreamy voice, letting the darkness overtake him.

...but, then again, he said something similar before he walked into that bar, didn't he?

* * *

**_[ Mahora Campus, Inspiring Yuri fics since 2003 ]_**

**_~Ring-Dong~_**

Konoka Konoe stopped her hand in mid-stroke and set her brush down on the sink counter when she heard the doorbell to the dorm ring once. She turned away from the mirror to bring the towel off the bar behind her and wrapped it around herself before leaving the bathroom to go investigate, leaving a few drops of water behind as she walked over to the door with quick strides. Lining her right eye with the peek hole, a smirk crossed her lips when she saw the person standing on the other side, seemingly debating with themselves on whether to ring the doorbell a second time or to be patient and wait a little longer for a response from the other graciously spared them of their unease, opening the door with a friendly-

"Hello, Se-chan!" A greeting that stopped the poor young woman dead in her tracks before she could even open her mouth to respond since she had not expected to find her ojou-sama half naked upon opening the door for her, though one could argue that it had become something of a recurring fantasy for her every other night, one that may or may not have been accompanied by a handsome young magister standing behind Konoka in a similar state, inviting her i-

"G-Good morning, Ojou-sama." Setsuna greeted her back before the steam could proceed to whistle out of her ears. "Why...are you...?" She trailed off, trying not to sound hopeful as she did.

"Oh, this?" Konoka realized what she was referring to when the swordsman's eyes dropped somewhere below her neck. "I just got out of the shower a few minutes ago. You caught me just as I was brushing my hair." And she proceeded to toss her head side to side to emphasize her words, completely oblivious to how Setsuna let out a dreamy sigh as she did. It amazed the crow demon, how her ojou-sama could be so innocent and delicate, yet just as naturally appear so deliciously sensual to the senses, like a forbidden fruit, ripe, luscious and oh so inviting. Just one bite and there was no turning back.

"Oh...I see." Setsuna said with a slow nod, averting her eyes as she blushed at the far from innocent thoughts that invaded her normally calm mind. "I just came over to get Negi-sensei." She stole another discreet peek at Konoka before averting her eyes again. "I wanted to start off training early today since it's going to begin snowing again later this afternoon."

"Oh, Negi?" Konoka's downbeat reaction to the mention of the young teacher's name brought Setsuna's full attention back to her, no longer bothered by her lack of dress. The healer turned her head slightly to the side, raising a hand up to grip the towel wrapped about her breasts. "He's not around..."

"Not around?" Setsuna echoed her curiously. "You mean, not on the campus?"

"That's right." Konoka nodded, forcing her smile to return. "He left yesterday around the afternoon."

"Where to?"

Konoka shifted her weight onto one leg uncomfortably, finally feeling the cold air rush in from the hallway. "Um, Se-chan?"

The swordsman perked up, detecting the blush on her face. "Yes, ojou-sama?"

"You mind coming inside?" She requested, raising the towel a little higher over her chest. "If I stand here talking to you any longer I think I'm going to catch something." At her request Setsuna was already nodding so fast that Konoka couldn't help but entertain the thought that her head might pop off her neck at any moment. "Great! Then follow me!" She turned around and walked into the dorm.

Setsuna closed the door behind her and started to feel a little fidgety. "Follow you?"

Konoka stopped, looking over her shoulder before she could walk away from view. "Yeah. Just follow me into the room so we can keep talking."

"W-While you get dressed?"

"Of course." Konoka answered her simply as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "What's wrong with that?" While there were more than few ways to answer that question without making things complex, Setsuna was very afraid of opening her mouth in fear that the answer that escaped would reveal too much, so she opted for the next best thing.

"What is wrong with that?" She threw Konoka's words back at her like a hot potato at which point she answered with a confident and crisp, "Nothing."

Setsuna cleared her throat, "So there's nothing wrong!"

Konoka blinked, "That's what I said."

"I know!"

"Are you okay?"

**_..._**

**_..._**

"So he left with Tatsumiya-san, eh?" Setsuna said in a displeased tone after Konoka finished explaining the apparent cause for Negi Springfield's absence. The swordsman sat on the bed with her eyes cast to the floor while Konoka stripped off her towel and opened one of the top drawers in her dresser, leaning over with her backside poked out toward her as she selected her undergarments for the day. She dared not let her eyes fall upon her ojou's finely shaped posterior, no matter how tempting it might have been.

"That's what Kazumi told me and Asuna." Konoka replied as she slipped her underwear up her legs. She adjusted them around her waist and let them go with a quick snap causing Setsuna to flinch, snapping her head up on reflex just in time to see her reach back and fix the wedgie that her panties gave her. She reached up with her forearm to wipe away the small trickle of blood that formed a perfect line from her left nostril. "And he had a small luggage bag with him when he did, too."

"So it would be safe to assume that they traveled far, and won't return for a while." The crow demon thought aloud, stroking her chin with one hand while she kept her eyes averted from Konoka. "And just around the end of the holiday season..." She caught some movement from Konoka at her peripheral. She must have approached her because she could swear that the healer's body heat had become far more apparent to her epidermal senses than it had been a few seconds ago.

"Could you help me with this, Se-chan?" Her voice sounded like it came from right in front of her too.

"Huhm?" Setsuna turned her head hesitantly to find the girl standing before her with her butt conveniently positioned directly in front of her face. Konoka looked down at her from over her shoulder with an innocent smile, hands preoccupied with keeping her bra in place over her chest.

"Just hook it from behind, please." She said, wiggling her upper body.

"Oh, sure!" The swordsman practically leapt up from the bed to assist her, hands trembling with feelings that even she herself could not find the wit within her to fully dissect. It could have been because of how nervous she was, or perhaps it was anticipation. At the moment she didn't bother to decide upon the two since all she really wanted to know at the moment was- "Which row would you like me to hook it up to?"

"The second one." Konoka answered her.

"Got it." Setsuna backed away, heaving a quiet sigh of relief to have gotten through it. "Um, a-anyway, where is Asuna?"

"She didn't tell me where she was going earlier this morning." Konoka answered as she walked back to the dresser to pull out an outfit for the day. "I mean, I'm sure I have some sort of idea."

"And that is?"

"She probably went into the city to buy the Christmas gifts." The young Konoe smiled to herself. "Asuna wouldn't admit it to herself, but she likes getting things for Negi. Even I can see through her act whenever Negi thanks her for something she's given him. It's cute."

"Oh, I see." Setsuna said softly. "How inconsiderate of him, going away at a time like this. Even I can't let something like this slide that easily." _And to disappear with Mana of all people...just what is their relationship with each other? Since when has she ever taken anyone along with her anywhere? _

"Hey, Se-chan?"

"Yes, ojou-sama?"

"Would you come with me to the city? We could spend the day together since you won't be holding any training for Negi-chan."

Setsuna fought back a creeping blush for the fourth time that day, stammering in response, "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

**_[ First Half, Check Point Reached]_**

**_

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_**

**_[F] {V} [A]_**


	16. When Negi met Xue

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter Twelve: Sidetracked in Dissonance_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

_Zero-chan, do not strangle her. _Negi cast a stern expression at the back of the sadistic puppet's head with that telepathic command. Chachazero's thought patterns were clear to him through their intimate bond as master and familiar, which meant that he could feel the stir of murderous glee that passed through her mind almost all the time and when Xue picked her off his shoulder to examine her personally, all Negi could make out from the puppet's mental waves was something along the lines of, _"KILLY KILLY KILL KILL."_

_But Masterrr..._ The puppet whined back at him like a little girl wanting to be pushed on a swing. _Why are you even going along with this?! Just break free and let's move on already!_

_I'm trying to show her that she can trust me, not give her another reason to label me as a threat! _

_You know, I apologize! _Negi had not been aware that telepathy could come in flavors of sarcasm until Chachazero demonstrated for him. _Shame on me for not realizing that strapping a person down to a table just screamed, "Best friends forever"?!_

Right now he was braced down to a cold observation slab at the center of a white room within the lab that Xue had built directly beneath her restaurant. There were all types of instruments that you would see in an operating room hanging from the ceiling and against the walls. A long counter top on the left side of the room stretched from wall to wall with surgical tools lined neatly along the surface, from scalpels to forceps, gels, syringes, precision tools, and bandages. Of course, those were only the tools that he could recognize. There were more, but he could not identify them too well, however, if you were to ask for a description from the young mage, he would probably inform you that he had seen some of them in a slasher movie Evangeline forced him to watch with her in the past. The metal cabinets that hung over the counter top seemed to tease him as if to imply to him that there were more surprises lying in wait within them. The right side of the room reminded him of the sets he expected too see in a mad scientist's lab. There were three tables set up side by side with glass beakers, flasks, filters, and all other types of glass containers coming in different shapes and sizes. One of the tables differed from the other two in the respect that it resembled some kind of stove with gas vents. A large machine with two monitors sat right beside it like a robot.

Despite the nature of all that, Negi was still pretty sure that he could get through this without having to resort to force. _Trust me, Zero. This is all just a simple misunderstanding. All I have to do is prove to her that I'm not a spy and everything will go by--_

"This can go to the garbage." Xue suddenly remarked out of the blue, having lost interest in Chachazero.

Negi's eyes almost launched from their sockets, "HOLD IT!" He lurched forward as if trying to break free from his bonds, but the most peculiar thing happened. They remained attached to the slab. Not that he had intended to break free, mind you, but he had not been consciously holding back when he moved forward out of reflex, so technically he should have been free right now...but he wasn't...and that meant something was wrong. "Eh?" A small sound of surprise left his mouth at the realization.

"What?" Xue looked to him suspiciously, Chachazero still dangling from her right hand.

_I'm still here. _Negi blinked. _The braces didn't break off._

Xue narrowed her eyes at him, "Yo."

_A normal person wouldn't be surprised, but I'm not supposed to be normal...at all. _The magister tried to kick a leg forward. Nothing. His ankle held still to the cold slab and for the first time since being held in the room Negi felt a familiar sliver of distress that had not preyed upon him in quite a while. It was the sort of distress that a normal human being would feel from being braced to a metal slab at the center of a room filled with surgical tools and having no recollection of ever making an appointment for an operation. It was the same feeling he had been ignoring until now because of his confidence that, if for some remote reason something had ever gone wrong, he would have the strength necessary for escaping. Well, so much for that...

"Neeeeegi." The sound of his name being sung to him brought him out of his state of shock.

"Uh-huh?" The young man nearly squeaked.

"Hold what?" The Chinese beauty asked him in a teasing voice, very much aware that his concern a minute ago had been for the puppet dangling from her right hand. She just wanted to hear it out of his mouth so that they could establish the weight of control between them. So far the young Springfield had been pretty calm about the situation, which annoyed her to no end. He needed to understand that the situation was out of his control and that the power on the scales were tipping in her favor. One of the most effective methods in making that clear was to hold something out in front of his face and make him beg for it. It was a bit underhanded for her, but she already tried being reasonable in the past. Look what that got her.

"Her!" Negi answered her.

"Who?" She played coy.

"Chachazero!" Negi called the puppet by name without thinking.

Xue lifted Chachazero to eye level again, a look of interest gradually forming. "This doll has a name?" She looked back at him with a shifty grin. "That's a cute habit you've got there, Negi."

He blushed, more out of hot embarrassment than the sound of her voice. "Please, just give her back." He inwardly prayed that the girl was as reasonable as he gave her credit for, but a wave of nausea passed over his stomach when the mischievous grin on her lips split a little wider. That did not look promising.

"What is so special about it?" Xue asked, unaffected by his plea. She did a thorough check of Chachazero again, lifting her jacket, and feeling around her body in general for something out of the ordinary. If the puppet had been capable of it, she would have been burning crimson all over, knowing that her master was watching her the entire time. Just the thought of the young vampire seeing her in such a position sent shivers of--well, that was probably pushing descriptions a bit further than necessary... the horny puppet.

"S-Sentimental value." Negi answered her uneasily.

"Sentimental value..." The restaurant owner echoed his words as an afterthought. She then smiled at him, "I don't believe you."

Negi sighed heavily, letting his head droop for a few seconds. "Look," He squared eyes with her, "Why does it matter? I just don't want anything bad to happen to her, alright? She's really important to me." A moment of tender silence was shared between the magister and the scientist after his warm proclamation and an expression of genuine understanding washed over her delicate features. Things were looking up until--

She smirked, "Charming, Negi. Truly," She yawned, "But the one thing you'll want to keep in mind whenever you're in this sort of situation is to never give away your vulnerabilities." She held out her hand, narrowing the distance between her thumb and forefinger to a bare minimum in order to express her next words, "Not even the tiniest bit."

Negi felt the hope drain away quickly. "H-Huh?" He looked to her, dumbfounded.

"This is the situation, Mr. Springfield, and listen well, because this act you're putting on is seriously not doing the job of amusing me anymore." The scientist approached him slowly, holding Chachazero with a little more respect, "You are going to tell me where the rest of your squad is posted, when they intend to move in on me, and what they are after."

"I think you have me confused with some--"

"Negi..." She leaned over, her eyes becoming frightfully sharp. "Listen...you are the seventh agent that Muhammad has sent to me. Do not take me lightly." She reached out and cupped his chin to raise his head, "Because I can break you in more ways than you're trained to endure and you'll find that I've become quite the sadist since your boss started harassing me."

"You know..." Xue looked down at the puppet in her hands when she began to speak. "The only reason you still have that head attached to your neck is because, Master, is restraining me." Chachazero's eyes looked sinister, even more so than usual. "Keep on treating him like this and he'll have to punish me for disobeying him later."

Xue turned her attention back to Negi, one eyebrow quirked, "She speaks?" She looked back down at Chachazero to find the puppet with her arms crossed, "You have a will of your own?!"

"S'right." Chachazero nodded, though the Chinese woman's next response was something she had not expected.

"This is...This is...." Xue choked on her words with a curious gleam in her eyes before she cried out, "Amazing!" She looked back at Negi, "Artificial intelligence?"

"No...not exactly." The young magister answered his captor, unsure of the direction this meeting was going. The last thing he needed was for her to confiscate his beloved familiar so she could use her as a study subject. The thought alone was enough to bring chills to his spine. "It's...complicated." A nervous look came upon his face when Xue's expression had become almost childlike.

"So..." She started off timidly.

Negi leaned forward from his bindings, "Yes?"

"...How do I open her?" If Negi had less control over his emotions, he probably would have scolded her for even thinking about doing such a thing, however, his current predicament would not have allowed such a slip. Something told him that a display of aggression would get her all business like again, and right now he considered her current mood an improvement.

"Like I'd let you!" Chachazero nearly freaked at her inquiry.

"S-she doesn't open!" Still, his immediate concern for the puppet's safety made him raise his voice at her. "I don't know what you're thinking of doing, but there's nothing scientific about her! I don't think there's anything about her that would really interest you!"

"Really?" Genuine disappointment flashed on her face. "What a shame...well then. Where were we?"

Negi sweat-dropped, "We're back to that again?"

"Well, it's really hard to think of you as anything else but an agent, you know? I mean, do you really intend for me to believe that someone like yourself really just came to my restaurant to dine?" She held Chachazero out in front of him to emphasize her point, "A magic user like you?"

"I was hungry?" Negi countered her reason, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"And why not go anywhere else?"

"Someone told me that your restaurant served good food." Negi retorted, "What other reason do I need? This is a little too much, don't you think?"

"Who was it?"

"Eh?" He didn't completely understand the question. "Who what?"

"Who told you about this place?" Xue regarded him skeptically, "Give me a name."

"F...um...Fa..." Negi knit his brow, thinking back on his conversation with that woman. "F-Felicia! Felicia Kerrigan!" He cried out her name when he finally remembered it. Perhaps with this, she would let him go, although the look on her face did not seem to shift. In the worst case scenario, that woman might have given him a fake name. She did seem a little off to begin with...

"...Hmm." The scientist looked him in the eyes intensely, almost as though she were looking within them for confirmation of the truth. This went on for a while, the two of them staring down each other until in silence until, finally, "You pass, then."

"Huh?" Negi blinked. That was surprisingly easy. "So I can go free?"

"Sure!" Xue smiled as she reached in under her left sleeve to press something. The green lights on the braces that were holding him down blinked a few times and he was released, dropping him on his feet, however, they gave out as soon as he made contact with the floor causing him to fall to his knees gracelessly.

"Ouch..."

"Looks like the drugs took a strong effect on you." She observed, leaning over him. "Do your muscles feel numb?"

Negi raised his head and grinned sheepishly, "No. My body just feels heavier." _It feels...human. I feel like my wings have been clipped and its...horrible. _"It'll just take some getting used to, I guess."

Xue offered him a hand, "Well, your body should break it down in the next hour or so." She pulled him up to his feet after he accepted her friendly gesture and held Chachazero out to him. "I suppose I should be returning your partner to you."

"Thanks." Negi accepted his familiar gratefully, holding her close with a sigh when she was back in his possession. That put the deepest of his fears behind him. More than anything, he did not want to lose his closest friend and ally. He would never forgive himself if he allowed anything to befall her.

"You have my apologies, Negi Springfield." The young woman apologized to him with a slight bow of her head. "Unfortunately, the world is always at the mercy of chance and while I do consider myself the experienced gambler, I have suffered my losses. Looking back on my past experiences, I find that I can never be too careful when I'm faced with a mage, understand?"

"....I suppose." The magister nodded in an unsure manner with her reasoning, not taking notice of the thin, black neck brace that she slipped out from underneath her sleeve. It resembled a metallic choker.

"Which is why,"She leaned forward without any further announcement, reaching her arms around his neck to clip the brace around his neck before pulling back and smirking deviously, "I'll need for you to wear this during your stay with me."

Negi's eyeballs shrunk to the size of two small dots as the realization came to him that he had just been set up again, "Um..." He held up a finger, mouth hanging to say more, "...what did you just put around my neck?"

"A kill switch." Xue answered him casually.

"....For what?"

"My own peace of mind, that you won't do anything unwise while I keep you around as a temporary lab assistant." She held her hands behind her back a she leaned over with a cheerful grin, "Lets become good friends, hm?"

The young magister furrowed his brows, "Wait. This isn't right..."

"Its not everyday that a young and willing magister like yourself comes into my restaurant for reasons not relating to business," The hungry look in her eyes made Negi sweat. It just was not the sort of look you directed at a living, breathing human being, "How could I pass up this chance?"

Negi felt himself back away, "You know....my current situation doesn't exactly allow me the luxury of making long stops. I have places to go--"

"Not, too, busy, I hope." Xue chirped, the excitement barely concealed in her voice.

"Really busy, actua—eh?!" He felt the coldness of the metal slab press against him from behind as if to remind him of the position he had been in a moment ago. It was them that it occurred to him that the object of this game was to make progress, not the other way around. _There's a reason why this sort of thing continues to happen to me; I know there is._

Xue closed in on him when she had him cornered, pressing her hand against the slab right beside his face as she leaned in. He felt his heart skip a beat, seeing his own startled expression reflected within the cold depths of the scientist's eyes. She held him still with those brilliant orbs, taking his emotions and numbing them like an aesthetic, and within the space of that one moment as they were connected to each other through the windows of their souls, Negi Springfield understood that he would not fight this woman.

She watched his body language shift into a calm state and her lips curled into a victorious smirk. The magister was now with her, "I can already tell that I'll enjoy your company, Negi."

* * *

**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

The shades were drawn over the windows to prevent the morning rays of sunshine from invading the bedroom and destroying the pleasant illusion of evening darkness that had served as a shroud from the natural flow of time. Here the air was moist and heavy, filled with the hushed sounds of short breaths and moans as two figures moved to a silent, pounding beat beneath the tasteful refuge of damp bedsheets, until--

_**...Knock ~ Knock...**_

The man positioned on top came to a halt in his services at the disruptive noise, getting an understandably negative response from the woman that had been on the receiving end beneath him. He felt her hand caress the right side of his face, forcefully directing his attention back to her as opposed to the door of the bedroom and he smiled at her. He admired her voluptuous form, beautiful with every curve and muscle that was the design of her body. Old battle scars adorned her warm flesh like old faded tattoos, blending in surprisingly well with the magical symbols that wrapped about her skin like a work of artistic elegance.

His attention returned to her lovely face, feathered about by blood-red hair that bled out onto the sheets like a flowing, crimson stream, and he reached up a hand to stroke her flushed cheeks, wanting to nod and continue what they had been doing, but--

_**...Knock ~ Knock...**_

"_Excuse me, Master." _The voice of a boy came from the other side of the door. He came off sounding a bit reluctant, probably because he understood that there were activities going on inside the room that were better left uninterrupted, _"As much as I'd hate to be a bother, a visitor is here for you and I don't think it would be advised for you to ignore them."_

"Don't listen to him," The woman's voice felt like a knife to the neck. The way her crimson eyes glared at him jaggedly did not allow the illusion of choice in the matter either, "Right now its you and me."

"Can't it wait?" The man called out in a torn voice, which was understandable when one considered his current position.

"_It's Lady La'felle!" _The boy hissed, his tone annoyed.

"Astameer." A dull look came upon the man's face as he grumbled the name to no one in particular, seemingly even forgetting the woman beneath him for a moment before he grew apologetic toward her. She must have understood what that meant since a scowl came upon her tomboyish features. He was going to bail on her.

"Don't do this, Sheik." She warned him, propping herself up on her elbows. "You promised me you wouldn't let anything get between us."

"I did say that, didn't I?" He asked her with a wolfish grin. "Strike, I'd promise you the world if I could, but that's beyond me...and as much as I regret saying this, this is too."

Her eyes burned like an inferno, "SHEIK!"

"Woops!" Shiek exclaimed playfully just as Strike gripped onto his back and she faded away like a ghost, at which point the grin on his face fell to be replaced with a scowl, "Damn that woman. Could she not have come at a better time?

Rolling onto his back, Shiek Muhammad saw this coming back to bite him in the ass later when it counted most. You did not just blow off one of your leading ladies like that and not expect the worst to befall you in the future.

"Though I could argue that ignoring La'felle might bring me more woe than this." Resolving that in mind he sat up against the edge of the bed and got up to retrieve his robe from the bed post before slipping it over his lean frame. After tightening his sash he ran his hands through his dark hair to straighten it out and proceeded to the door.

"You're going to meet her looking like that?" Sheik was greeted by his young servant after opening the door. The boy reached was at the average height for a fourteen year old, reaching up to Sheik's chin. He was still dressed in his school robes, having just returned from classes not a while ago. His appearance was the opposite of his master's, orderly and well-kept, with his dark blue hair cut short to stay clear of his black eyes and rectangular, black rimmed glasses. It made him look older than he genuinely was.

"Well, I'd hate to keep her waiting." Sheik said sarcastically as he stepped out onto the walkway to proceed to the guest chamber. The floor was made of smooth marble and the walls were pure glass, allowing a view of the fog covered mountains surrounding the large mansion and the diamond back dragon that had made its nest nearby among them. Sheik's eyes swiveled smoothly to the majestic beast glaring at him in the distance and stopped in his walk to offer it a friendly wave. Seemingly annoyed by how nonchalant he was about greeting it, the dragon snorted, upturning its head in a fashion fit for a noblewoman and stretching out its enormous wings to take flight into the skies like a blazing arrow.

"...You know, it's not healthy having a dragon for a stalker." The boy commented uncomfortably once his master proceeded in his walk. "She's going to get comfortable around here and start including this mansion as part of her territory, you know that? Diamond back dragons are _very_ territorial and if she starts accepting you as one of her own--"

"Would you put a cork on it, Ender?" Sheik groaned. "Just treat the lady with respect and you'll receive the same in kind. It doesn't hurt to have new friends around..." The tall man lowered his head, grumbling, "...Nerd."

"Don't think I didn't hear that."

Shiek did not bother turning to acknowledge him, "Hear what?"

"Being knowledgeable does not make me a nerd!" Ender cried out, shaking a fist.

Sheik stepped on the teleportation glyph on the platform at the end of the walkway and regarded Ender with a curious smirk, "Who said that?"

A vein bulged on the young man's forehead with a vengeance, "Y-You did!"

"Hey, have you already forgotten who's paying the tuition for your school? Why would I tease you for something I clearly encourage?"

"Might it have something to do with you being a jerk?" He replied with a roll of his eyes as the glyph beneath them activated, rising up through their feet.

"Now that was harsh..." Shiek frowned.

"...Okay....I didn't mean it...."

"I forgive you," Shiek told him with a smile just before they both vanished in a surge of red light, yet for some reason a final word was left behind in their disappearance, "....Nerd."

* * *

**_To the Guest room..._**

**_---------------_**

"Just now...did...did you say something?" Ender looked to Sheik with a confused expression, "Because I could swear...that--"

"Must have been your imagination, boy." Sheik assured him with a straight face, stepping off the platform to enter the guest room where his visitor was waiting for him, sitting on the couch comfortably with her legs crossed in such a theatrical manner that he almost got the impression that she had been rehearsing their meeting in his absence. Of course, knowing Astameer La'felle, she had probably been doing just that. The sinfully, lovely sorceress had a penchant for that sort of thing along with other tastes that left much to be desired. Not to make note of them, but beauty was truly skin deep, was it not? Beyond those drop dead looks was a demoness of the foulest kind that could do to others what such looks implied. It made Shiek wonder why the council thought of him so devilishly when the queen of hades lounged among them every day.

The green haired sorceress's lips twisted into a scowl upon noticing his arrival, "You kept me waiting long enough. I was almost sure that you had finally died in your sleep."

"Gods, no." Sheik mock gasped, "I was just giving you time to finish putting on your make up."

"I'm in stitches." La'felle said sarcastically as she stood from the couch, her long, braided hair swaying with her rising motion like lazy serpents.

Sheik crossed his arms and scoffed, "Don't get my hopes up."

"Lets stop prattling," She approached him, her hips swaying in motion, "I didn't come her because I enjoy the sight of you, Muhammad."

"What was wrong with using a phone? It would have made it easier on the both of us."

"I'm here to brief you on your latest assignment, that's why." Astameer hissed at him, narrowing her silver eyes with a cold chill before setting her sights on Ender, making the young man cringe. "Make yourself scarce, boy. The adults are talking now."

"Wha--" Ender caught his tongue when Sheik shoot him a stern look. "...Yes, Lady La'felle." With that he turned away and left the room.

Sure that his servant had obeyed, Sheik began, "I'm going to assume that this is about that Chao Xue woman since you decided on coming privately. I've already sent in Gandolfini and a few of my other men to meet with her twice and negotiations failed, _horribly_ I might add. She isn't willing to surrender her services to the council. I can assure you of that."

"What a loss." Astameer said with a shake of her head, crossing her arms as she walked over to the wall to lean against it. "The woman is like nothing I've ever come across before. Her knowledge with the manipulation of raw mana is invaluable and I doubt that even she herself realizes it herself. Combining her world of thinking with our scholars from '_The Order'_ would certainly bring extraordinary results."

"At this point its harassment." Sheik commented. "Theresa and Adrian would have something to say about this if they knew that you were involving yourself in mundane affairs for the sake of mere ambitions, alone."

"Not at all. Chao Xue is part of a bloodline of criminals that threaten the balance of our world." She assured him, pushing off from her post against the wall to approach him again, "She is doing what we had put an end to centuries ago. If the mundanes were somehow able to gain a grasp over sorcery again the consequences would be a reflection of long gone history."

"The War of the Magi?" Sheik scoffed, "Magic isn't something that can be brought back to their world easily, much less sorcery. That is scarce even here."

"Our study of the Chao family goes back to the Earth's medieval age, back when _'The Holy Order' _of the mundane church came in contact with them. Their shared knowledge allowed them to produce false magic users capable of commanding the same arts that we do. The only reason that Master Kell keeps them around is because they've shown themselves competent in controlling the spread of infected humans that those Lords and Mistresses from the _'Lawless World'_ leave behind."

"You think that Xue is capable of taking that a step further?"

"I know that she's capable." The sorceress stated confidently. "I've sent spies to keep tabs on her and so far the reports have been more than interesting. Apparently the scientist has already tapped into the vein of sorcery with her latest invention in the works, the '_Cassiopeia Zero'_."

"And that is?"

"A time traveling device." Her words caught the mage off guard. "Imagine...Time travel. Why the very idea is nothing but the talk of fairy tales, even to us."

"Then my assignment is..."

"Convince her to join us by _any_ means necessary. If she shows resistance this time, kill her." The words came off so casually from her lips that one would have easily mistaken it for being an order she issued on a daily basis. "If we don't take the initiative in acquiring her, then others will eventually discover her talents, be it demon, vampire, who knows? All that matters is that we eliminate the '_what ifs', _and if that comes at the price of her life, then so be it."

* * *

**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

"_ACHOO!" _

"Bless you, Ms. Chao." A waitress answered Chao Xue's sudden sneeze as she entered the restaurant owner's private office, the same waitress that greeted Negi Springfield at the desk to be exact. "Did you catch a cold?"

"Unfortunately not." Xue answered the young woman with a smirk, "Someone must be talking about me." She swiveled her armchair to regard her, "What can I do for you, Snowball?"

"There are two people here whom wish to speak with you." The waitress answered her clearly in a fashion more appropriate for a soldier or subordinate. "Much like our last guest earlier this afternoon, they don't appear to be from around here."

"What a night this is turning out to be." Xue sighed as she rose from her seat. "By the way, how is my new lab assistant doing? Not misbehaving, I hope..."

"Actually," A light, but noticeable blush appeared on the young woman's cheeks as she thought back on the young vampire, "He is quite the gentleman. He is giving us no trouble at all despite the fact that you're not there to keep him in check."

"He certainly isn't just all looks, is he?" The scientist quipped. _Though I'm sure that collar could be a contributing factor to that pleasant attitude. _"Well," Xue ran her hands down the sides of her qipao to smooth out any wrinkles from being seated earlier, "I suppose I should take care of our unusual guests so I can get back to analyzing Negi." She proceeded through the doorway, out into the hall.

Snowball followed closely behind, "How has the analysis been going so far, Ms. Chao?"

"Horribly normal." Xue answered with a pout. "I'm actually considering letting him go free. His body isn't advancing my research in the slightest. He does take _extremely_ good care of himself, though. It makes me wonder about his diet..."

"You still seem interested."

"I like well kept secrets." Xue responded to her quip with a chuckle. "And speaking honestly, there is something about him that I find irresistible." Her response was naturally unexpected, catching Snowball off guard. The lovely scientist was so detached from the general idea of the opposite sex that those who worked under her sometimes fell under the suspicion that she might have preferred the private company of other women. The fact that she only hired girls to work for her helped in enhancing that illusion.

"I-Irresistible...how so?" The girl hastened her pace to get beside the scientist so that she could get a good look of her face to clarify whether she was being serious about that last statement.

"I don't know." She answered without giving it much thought, "Weird, right?"

"...Very..." The waitress replied, deflating visibly from disappointment. Three years working for the woman and she was still as mysterious as she had been the first day she met her. They walked out into the main dining area and Xue spoke.

"Is it those two?" Xue asked in a whisper.

Snowball blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Our visitors." She reminded her.

Snowball turned her attention toward the direction of Xue's sight and spotted the two people that had come asking for her standing beside the reservations desk with their arms crossed, Katherine Rosenthal and her close partner, Wilson Schultheiss. "That would be them." She answered her boss.

Katheine, realizing that Xue was walking toward her with a purpose in mind, uncrossed her arms and proceeded forward to close the distance between them, "Good evening, Xue." The vampire hunter greeted the restaurant owner, stopping in front of her to extend a gloved hand.

"And you are?" Xue inquired, extending out her own hand to accept the gesture. "I don't believe we've ever met."

"Katherine Rosenthal." She answered her. "I came here because I heard this restaurant was a popular stopping spot for visitors that come through this area. The reason that particular information came to my attention is because I've recently lost contact with a comrade of mine and I wanted to know if you or any of your staff had possibly seen him."

"A lost friend." Xue mused, "Could you describe him?"

"He's a young man in his late teens with red hair, brown eyes and wears glasses. He stands out, dressed in a cream colored, hooded cloak and he carries around an odd looking walking stick that stands about as tall as he is. He goes by the name Negi Springfield." Katherine described for her, unconscious of how her right hand slowly curled into a white knuckled fist as she went on, "I doubt that a meeting with him could slip anyone's mind. He really just...leaves an impression on you."

Xue furrowed her eyebrows, feigning deep thought before crossing her arms and answering, "Sorry, but I can't say that I have seen this person."

"I thought that would be your answer." Katherine accepted her reply with a weak smirk. "Thank you for your time." The huntress offered the scientist a nod of appreciation before turning her back on her and taking her leave with Wilson. Xue watched on silently until the two of them were out the front door and turned to regard Snowball.

"She looked like an agent of the church." The scientist observed.

"Could it be possible that Mr. Springfield is one of them?" Snowball wondered aloud.

"That would be a stretch, but considering that Negi is a genuine mage, I wouldn't count on it."

"Unless he was a spying on them..."

"The council has no need to spy on the _'Holy Order'_ of the church. They're small fry." Xue shot down her suspicion without bothering to consider it, "Besides, I'm beginning to think that Negi has nothing to do with them. He may just be someone who stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time."

"....I hope you're right." The young waitress mumbled under her breath, but-

"I think I heard the voice of doubt." Xue thought aloud, raising an eyebrow darkly.

Snowball freaked, "U-Um, huh? I didn't say anything!"

"Get to work, _little girl_."

* * *

**B-B-B-BEE-BEE-BEEP!**

"L-Let go of it, Zero-chan!" Negi panicked when the collar around his neck responded to his Chachazero's tugs with loud beeping racket. After Xue's waitresses left him and his familiar alone in the scientist's home, they had been focusing all of their energy in finding a way to remove the kill switch around his neck. So far things were not going as well as they had hoped with how sensitive the device appeared to be when tampering was concerned. A fair disturbance would ensure an abrupt end to the young magister's journey...

"Maybe I should try forcing it off with one of my knives?" The sadistic puppet suggested as she reached at her waist for one of her blades. "Whaddya think?"

Negi sweat-dropped at the very idea, "Erm...I think I'll pass." He sighed, sinking back into the couch cushion with eyes half closed, "Still, I wasn't expecting things to end up this way. First she threatens to torture me if I was a spy and now she wants to keep me around as a guinea pig." He stroked the collar with a finger, "Maybe I ran into the wrong _Chao'_."

"No, I think we ran into the right one." Chachazero assured him, "Cunning, deceiving and sharp as a whip...sounds like family traits that got passed onto someone we know."

"That second one might be going a little far, don't you think?"

Negi's words actually managed a blink out of the puppet, "No...I think I'm being lenient with that second adjective."

"She wasn't a bad person," The young magister defended his former student before frowning to the side, "Even now I wonder what made her into the person she had become, that she would be so vengeful. Both Chao and Dorothy were such complex people that I regret being severed from them so unexpectedly that night on the zeppelin. Dorothy vanished from this world and Chao followed behind her, returning to her own time."

"You need to let go of that woman, master." Chachazero spoke at the mention of Dorothy Summers. That conversation back at the manor with Lucinda managed to stir up old emotions within the young magister that he had been keeping suppressed over two years of harsh training. Since then the puppet noticed that something had been weighing Negi's mind, but she unable to determine what it was until now. "She brought you nothing, but trouble since the day you met her."

"I know that Zero-chan, but she loved me and I had never come to understand why." Negi looked to his right hand, the hand that Evangeline had taken to grasp her sword that night, "I just ignored her feelings and murdered her.....for Chao's sake."

"Would you calm down and listen to yourself?!" Chachazero finally got irritated, "For Chao's sake, my ass. You did it because everyone would have been dead otherwise! What are you doing getting emotional over the villain for?! What did you think was going to happen if you allowed her to live, huh? We'd all get a happy ending and live together as friends? No, she wasn't going to let that happen and you know it, because as far as she was concerned the world was her enemy and you were the only source of comfort she ever believed in."

Negi managed a smirk, "You're really passionate about this."

"Nah. I'm passionate about you." The puppet winked at him, unnerving him despite her feelings for him not being a well kept secret. Of course, that was because Chachazero never even tried hiding it from him once it started developing in the first place. He would never forget that night he woke up covered in ketchup....it was a, uh, long story, and the look that Evangeline _and_ Chachamaru directed at him when he told them about it pretty much spoke for itself.

"Um...I know I should be used to it by now....but..." Negi trailed off with a nervous chuckle. _I guess I should be relieved that she can't really do anything to me. _And thinking that, Negi never realized that there was a story mechanic called foreshadowing. Not that he had anytime to take note of the sinister narration since his ears perked up at the faint noise of someone entering the house through the front entrance. The door closed, echoing through the quiet home and Xue's voice called out, "Negi? Where have you gone off to?"

Negi and Chachazero exchanged a glance, "I'm in your living room." Negi answered her.

"That was fast," The scientist remarked before she appeared at the entryway with a brown paper bag in held in one arm, "You sure made yourself at home. I thought you would lock yourself in the room I provided you with so that you could find a way to get the collar off without my knowledge." A mischievous smirk, "I guess I misjudged your character again, Negi. Geez, you're an annoying guy."

"Huh?"

Xue sighed, her expression shifting to disappointment, "It's a joke." She beckoned him with a toss of her chin, "Come, follow me into the kitchen. I'll cook you something since I interrupted your dinner back at the restaurant." She waited for Negi to get up from the couch, but he appeared to be hesitant for some reason. "I'm not going to poison you."

"....I-I know that." Negi told her, though she was less than convinced by his unsure tone.

"You sure had me fooled."

"Can you blame me?" Negi shot back. "I'm not exactly here because I wanted to stay over for dinner."

Xue waved him off casually, "All water under the bridge!" She laughed, treating his situation as nothing more than trivial, "Now, c'mon. I'm only going to offer it one more time."

"Well...I guess it wouldn't kill me." Negi gave in, scooping Chachazero up in one arm.

"You'd be the first."

Negi stopped in his tracks, mouth hanging open, "W-What?"

Xue smirked, "I'm just trying to loosen you up. You're so tense."

_Negi and Chachazero glanced at each other...._

_**[B}_________________________{Y}_________________________{E]**_

Xue blew lightly at the steaming, wooden spoon in her hand and sipped from it, turning at the waist to regard Negi Springfield, who was seated at the small dining table behind her with his familiar. He did not appear to be angry with her, but the cheerfulness that he exhibited earlier when they first met in the restaurant appeared to have left him with time. A neutral expression now graced his handsome features as he studied the kitchen with little to no interest and when he realized that she was staring at him, he merely stared back for a few seconds before raising an eyebrow as if to ask what was on her mind. The puppet mirrored her master's actions, turning her head all the way to give her a long stare, without bothering to turn the rest of her body.

"You should cheer up, you know." The scientist began, pushing the chicken up against the sides of the wok to introduce mushrooms to the stir-fry, "You're the first guy I've ever cooked for personally."

"Thanks," Negi responded, albeit dejectedly, "I'm not sure what to make of it, though."

Xue turned up the flame, "Why do you say that?" She moved the wok around with one hand, using the other to mix with the wooden spoon quickly, "Consider it a gesture of our friendship."

_WHEN DID WE—_Negi grabbed at his left hand to restrain it just as it attempted to reach at her without warning, "We're...f-friends now?" The magister spoke in the calmest tone that he could manage as he looked down at his left hand with wide eyes. That was certainly not something he was used to experiencing everyday and it didn't help matters that Chachazero was just as alert about the alarming feat that his hand just demonstrated.

"We might as well be." Xue replied casually. "You'll be assisting me for the next few days so it would benefit the project if we get along," She looked over her shoulder, "Although I don't think that will be much of a problem, considering the gentleman that you are."

"Does that mean you'll remove the collar?"

"No," The scientist turned her attention back to the food once more, "How did you ever come to that conclusion, Springfield?"

"Well...we're friends now."

"Not officially." Xue corrected him, "Things don't move that quickly."

"Why are you threatened by me anyway?" Negi looked to the side with a confused expression, "Do I seem that dangerous to you?"

"Threatened by you?" Xue scoffed, "You're as harmless as a rabbit."

Negi and Chachazero blinked. "....I don't follow...."

"As intelligent as I'm assuming you are, I doubt you'd make any acts of aggression while that collar is around your neck." She explained, "Not that it kept others from attempting as much."

Negi felt his stomach churn at her cryptic addition, "What do you mean?"

Xue set the wok down and lowered the flame before wiping her hands and turning to face him, an expression on her face that chilled the blood in his veins, "What do you think, Negi? Do I look like a bluff to you?"

"....You killed them?"

Xue smirked to lighten the mood before assuring him, "Of course not! They managed to get off with nothing more than sever injuries. Nothing fatal if that's what concerns you." She turned away from him again to open one of the cabinets bolted over the counter top. She removed two plates from a stack and set both of them down on the counter top with one hand while she closed it shut with the other. "I have to say, you guys are seriously something else. I doubt that a mundane would have survived such an explosion, especially coming from a product of yours truly." The cockiness that seeped into her voice during that last remark told the young vampire that she took pride in her creations regardless of their given function.

"...Uh-huh...." Negi nodded his head, unable to decided whether her words could be taken as good news or not. _I'd like to ask Chao just how me and this woman ever got around to becoming actual friends. So far the impression I'm getting from her borders around 'psychotic sociopath' and she's not making much of an effort to improve that..._

"_ACHOO!" _Negi flinched when Xue suddenly sneezed, covering her face with a sleeve.

"Um, bless you?" Negi told her. _That was quite a sneeze..._

"Ugh...someone must be talking bad about me..." The scientist said to no one in particular before she opened the water in the sink to wash her hands. For some reason the young magister found himself feeling a little guilty, sitting at the table watching her. "But I've come to accept as much," Xue continued, ripping away a sheet from a roll of paper towels to dry her hands, "When you live the kind of lifestyle that I do you're bound to make enemies of others. I'm not too popular with the women of this town either."

"....Why is that?" Negi asked curiously, getting a mischievous grin out of the scientist as a reward for his inquiry. She served them both and brought their plates to the table with an answer, "Well, have you seen most of my customers? One of the usual jokes I get from them is that they come to eat at my restaurant because their wives can't compare to my cooking."

"Yeesh." Even Chachazero sympathized.

"Well, Felecia did tell me something along those lines." Negi recalled sheepishly as Xue walked away from the table to retrieve their drinks. He looked down at the plate that she placed in front of him and began to salivate as his hunger finally returned to him with a vengeance. Even his worries regarding his awkward situation with the scientist could no longer hold him back as he reached down for-- "Hm?" His hand instinctively reached down to find nothing. He looked back at the smirking Xue to see her returning with steaming cups in both hands.

"You're not planning on starting without me, are you?" She asked him knowingly.

"....No..." The hungry young man answered her for the sake of his own upbringing.

"What a gentleman." She took her seat across from him and pulled two wrapped chopsticks from beneath her sleeve like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, which brought the question to Negi's mind of just how she hid all of those random objects that she carried on her person underneath those sleeves. Where did she keep them whenever she wore a sleeveless dress, or a short sleeve shirt? His line of thought didn't travel too far since he wasn't about to concern himself with making theories. "Here you are." She handed him his eating utensils and he accepted them gratefully.

A smirk crossed her lips again as she observed him eating, "I hope you don't mind drinking tea with your food."

Negi swallowed the food that he voraciously shoved into his mouth and replied, "I don't mind at all!" The way he quickly resumed his eating after he answered her made her giggle. It appeared that his impression of her changed rather dramatically when presented with something to fill his stomach. Just a moment ago he had been glaring at her in the same manner one would direct at a poisonous serpent slithering about, but now he was like a starved kitten, accepting anything she offered him without a hint of suspicion.

"So tell me, Negi..."

Negi swallowed again, raising his head to regard her lovely countenance, "Yes?"

"What brings a person like yourself through here?" She asked, her food neglected and her chopsticks still bound together on the table. Her interests were more directed at him than her own food. "Don't misunderstand me," She said quickly when the look of suspicion gradually returned to the magister's face after being questioned by her, "I do believe that you're not a spy, but I'm still curious."

"I just happened to stumble across this town." Negi answered her, setting his chopsticks down on the side of his plate. "I had no real agenda in mind."

"None at all?" Xue asked, her head tilting slightly. "Two people came to my restaurant searching for you earlier." Her words made the young man go tense.

_Two people? Two people came looking for me?_ Negi folded his hands on the table and looked to the side nervously before turning his attention back to her. "These two people...they wouldn't have been two armored men by any chance, were they?"

Xue blinked, "Eh?"

_Stupid question Negi! Why would those knights walk into a human town and blow their cover like that? _Negi shook his head and tried a more sensible approach, "Who were these two people?" The quick shift in his attitude piqued her interest.

"One of them was a woman who introduced herself as _'Katherine Rosenthal'. _Does that ring a bell, handsome?"

Her reply calmed him as he whispered, "Katherine...."

"That certainly sounded interesting." Xue remarked at the soft whisper of the huntress's name, "With the way she spoke about you I had my suspicions, but this definitely confirms it. You two are together, aren't, you?" Her theory was shot down immediately.

"Absolutely not!" He answered her. "We hardly know each other that well!"

"You went on the defensive rather quickly." She chuckled, her eyes narrowing mischievously, "Are you sure you're not lying?"

"S-stop teasing me." The young man told her in a defeated tone, "Me and Katherine just happened to travel together at one point." _Not that it lasted very long since Lucinda showed up and changed all of that, and I don't even want to recall what happened after that..._ "We got separated unexpectedly, so I could understand why she would be looking for me."

"You know, that woman is an agent of the church."

"I know..." Negi nodded, "She told me that she was a vampire hunter. It didn't seem like much of a big deal to her." _Of course, then I'd have to take into consideration that she had taken about four shots by the time she went about telling me that..._

"A vampire hunter." Xue's tone became uncharacteristically distant, "I see...I hope _she's_ alright..."

"Who?" Negi asked, "You mean Katherine?" His question seemed to perk up the scientist.

"Oh, was I thinking out loud?" She laughed at her slip with a few dismissive waves of her hand, "No, no. I was talking about I friend of mine. She's just so...lost and naive that I tend to worry about her." _In fact, I haven't received a call from Dorothy in close to a month. What sort of business has that poor girl gotten herself into that she can't dial my number?_

"You have friends?" Negi asked innocently.

Xue smiled at him wildly, apparently sensitive about the subject, "Yes, I do! Thank you!"

Negi laughed at her reaction, "I was just kidding!"

"Well, aren't you just comfortable?" Xue observed with a slanted smirk, "Maybe I should just leave that collar around your neck and keep you as my permanent friend."

"Um, no, I'll pass. Thank you."

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A] **_

* * *

**_Allow me to turn back time..._**

_**___________**_

"I don't know..." Negi clutched the curtain over his upper body as he poked his head out of the changing booth to look at Chisame Hasegawa. The net idol had entered Chiu mode, dressed as a neko-detective, something sure to be a hit among the other cosplayers at the convention with its elegant presentation. The young woman had on a leather jacket with a white tank top underneath and black slacks with a fake gun strapped at her waist on her right side and a pair of handcuffs hanging loosely on her left side. Cute whiskers drooped from the sides of her face with handmade, realistic cat ears popping out from the top of her head. As usual when she took him along, Negi's outfit was designed to compliment her own, which was why he was the villain cat that she supposedly arrested. The costume of said 'villain cat' was a tight, black and white striped shirt that almost served as a second skin to the young man's upper body with how form fitting it was, complimented by chains wrapped around his waist and arms in the most questionable fashion and a pair of torn, black jeans. The young magister had whiskers and cat ears made for him by the net idol to complete the package, and boy was it something. "...Um, Chisame-chan...isn't this costume a little..."

"A little what?" Chisame asked wit her arms crossed impatiently, "Would you just come out of there already?"

"Erm..." Negi was hesitant to do as she asked, but he held to his courage and stepped out, the chains on his arms and waist rattling with each step he took. "What do you think?" His question was nearly lost on the net idol as she took in the image of him in all of his bishonen glory. Perhaps it was not such a good idea to request for him to come in his adult form, although a small voice in the back of her head had different sentiments on the matter.

Chisame coughed, turning her head to hide the blush that crept up on her, "What are you whining about? It looks just fine."

Negi cocked his head to the side, "You think so?" He scratched the back of his head, "There's something about it that just bothers me."

"I know so." She assured him, working up the nerve to look at him again. "I'm the one who designed it remember? With this set up we're sure to make it to the final round in the '_couple costumes_' segment of the contest."

Negi pinched at the skin tight shirt on his chest again, but he wisely lowered his hand when Chisame shot him a death glare powerful enough to test his immortality. "Well, you're the expert, so I'll just follow your lead." He submitted himself to her wishes with a forced grin. _If Evangeline could see me right now I would never be able to live it down. I guess its a good thing that I left Chachazero at home, or this would be harder to get through than it already is... _He looked to Chisame, a pathetic expression gracing his features that made him seem so vulnerable to the feminine eyes that it was a sin. The net idol had to turn her attention away from him before her inner cosplayer squealed in delight at how much he resembled a helpless cat at that moment.

"Let's get going." Chisame placed her hand on the door of the changing room to push it open, allowing the light from outside to pour into the dim room. From the small opening the young magister was able to see the other cosplayers that came to attend dressed in all kinds of elaborate outfits, complimented by wigs of all lengths, styles and colors, and bizarre accessories that made him feel a little more confident in his own appearance. Still, even Chisame could not deny that the young vampire's get up was something more appropriate for some sort of bondage scene....because that was exactly what she had in mind when she was in the process of designing it. Not that she would let him in on the little tid-bit of information since he was basically her ticket to winning a trophy in the only category that she had never gotten the chance to dominate. This was her first time entering for the couples entry for obvious reasons and she was going to leave her mark by whatever means necessary. _Even _if it meant whoring out her teacher to the raving crowd of female otakus.

_It's finally time to put your appeal to good use, Negi-sensei. _The bespectacled cat detective thought with a grin that looked out of place on her face.

Negi noticed it, "Um, Chisame..."

"W-What?!" She snapped out of her sinister vision when his voice reached her ears. She looked around to find out that she had not budged from the door at all. "You're holding us up, sensei!" She hissed at him to play off her momentary lapse and swung the door at its entirety, "The entries for the contest might almost be filled by now!" With that she made off for a mad dash to one of the booths, leaving him behind to follow after her. Needless to say, the young magister was very hesitant to do so.

"...But I can't hide in here forever..." Negi reasoned with himself in an attempt to persuade himself to step out, and so he did, reaching out one clawed hand to open the door of the changing room and stepping out to face the cosplaying world that his dear student was so in love with. He spotted Chisame waiting in line at the registering both and proceeded onwards to join her without incident until he made it toward the center of the circular room at which point--

"_**Heeeey, sexy!"**_

"_**Rrrrow! Who are you with?!"**_

"_**Hey kitty-kitty-kitty!"**_

--And tears streamed down the eyes of the terrified young man. "I'm suddenly beginning to regret this...."

Negi Springfield was no stranger to the idea of the strange and bizarre, as every magister was fated to inevitably deal with the unfamiliar and otherworldly at least once in their lives. He himself was far from normal even by the standards of the common mage, but he had never been aware that there was a world even farther beyond his concept of understanding than the one he already dealt with on a daily basis until Chisame Hasegawa invited him to his first convention experience, or rather his first cosplaying experience. To put things simply, there was once a time when Negi believed Chisame to be one of the sanest students in his classroom---that time was past. You see, when your student is intimately associated with a world of people that all dress up on more than one occasion as completely fictional individuals and gather at conventions to act out their guiltiest fantasies by adapting the personalities of said fictional individuals to the point of _becoming_ them...somehow its hard _not_ to wonder what goes through their mind.

Regardless of that, Negi felt that his relationship with Chisame had honestly grown into something exceptionally special and it showed quite clearly in her attitude towards him. Long gone were the days when the net idol had just been a face that stared at him from the back of the room. Over the past year her performance had taken a drastic jump, with her actually lending her thoughts in every lesson and even returning after school to sit in on the extra lectures that he offered for the girls whenever they felt lost in the flow of things. There were times when the other members of the faculty grew envious and approached Negi during his lunch breaks with Takamichi to inquire on how he managed to get her to actively participate, an incredible feat according to their recounted experiences with the introvert young woman. Chisame's attitude outside the classroom even took a slight change for the better, with her approaches of him whenever she caught him on the campus grounds to initiate a conversation or simply to rant to him about her latest discontentment with her fellow classmates. Sure, she still did not come close to being one of the social butterflies that some of his infamous students were, but an improvement was an improvement.

Needless to say, the girls had begun to miss it when Chisame wanted nothing to do with the young teacher. Surprisingly that included Chachamaru, who for whatever reason felt the net idol to be just as much as a potent threat to her relationship with the young teacher as Mana Tatsumiya was. Takane Goodman was not included on the threat list on the grounds of being a socially inept psycho in the eyes of the gynoid, and as for Evangeline McDowell, she was one of the bonds that would hold her together with Negi Springfield even if her mistress was unaware of it. The young magister was, more or less, unaware of the effect that his involvement with lady Hasegawa had on the rest of his affectionate students...as for the effect it had on him--

"Its a little uncomfortable..." Negi whispered beside Chisame's ear, sending shivers down her neck that made her entire body quiver for a moment. The only thing that kept the pen in her hand from straying off the dotted line with her signature and zigzagging down the side of the entry form were her nerves of steel. When the ninja girl cosplayer on the other side of the booth confirmed the net idol's place in the contest to her with a nod she turned around to face Negi and hissed, "W-What's making you uncomfortable?!" Well, she attempted to get her words across in a hiss, but the jitters that she received from his hot breath in her ear caused her voice to betray her in a stammer.

Negi sighed, "The atmosphere around here." He was, of course, referring to the way the estrogen level in the room had somehow received a twenty percent increase after he had come out of from the changing room. Chisame had taken notice of it as well, observing some of the entering girls pulling out digital cameras to snap photos of her partner while others had their backs against the wall, tapping the tips of their toes on the floor as though debating with themselves over an important issue. Likely whether to lay low and wait for Negi to get separated from her before approaching him or taking a risk and meeting him upfront while they were still together. It made Chisame smirk to herself.

_You guys would like that, huh? _The net idol inwardly laughed, stroking her chin in amusement before she turned her attention back to the young woman behind the booth counter. "When does the contest begin?" Her question snapped the ninja girl out of her daze. Judging by how her attention was to something over her shoulder, she was likely gawking at Negi.

"Hmm?" The girl responded absently, smiling to cover for her lapse in awareness.

"The contest; when does it begin?" She asked again with a roll of her eyes. She wasn't sure how it was possible that she was one of the only girls on Earth that did not instantly fall prey to her young teacher's unintentional charms, or at least she assumed that they were unintentional. Most of the time Negi Springfield appeared to be clueless of the troubles that his presence presented to most women, young and mature. She swore it was going to have adverse effects on his life expectancy at some point.

"The couples entry should begin at 2:30."

Receiving her answer from the fawning young woman behind the desk, the net idol turned around to regard her partner as he shivered under the wanton tares of the other female cosplayers in the room. At the previous convention that she invited him over to there had been admirers, but the reaction was not nearly as aggressive. She had to hand it to herself that she had talent.

_Of course, there was never and doubt. _"We've got time before the contest." Her words got the young magister to turn to her, his whiskers bouncing side to side.

"So what are we doing until then?" He asked her gingerly. "Not any poses I hope." The thought alone of doing as much with his current persona inspired chills. Sometime later in an unspecified park Konoka and Setsuna shuffled away from Chachazero on the bench they were sitting on as the sadistic puppet suddenly giggled without warning in the most disturbing fashion.

"Actually, let's got get something to eat." Despite the immense appeal of his idea, she had skipped breakfast earlier this morning to organize her meeting spot with the young teacher before the other girls could throw a wrench in their plans and her stomach was seemingly determined to remind her as much, "there should be a food court somewhere in the atrium."

"Sounds good to me." Negi nudged at his nose with the back of his paw to get an itch innocently, unaware of the effect that such a gesture had on the raging hormones of those around him. In the background two girls had to take hold of one of their friends by the waist and shoulders to keep her from charging the young vampire and tackling him to the ground to nuzzle him to death. "Is it a long walk?"

Chisame quirked a brow,"Why?"

Sensing something ominous stirring within his eccentric student at his question, Negi decided it best not to provide her with an answer, "Oh, nothing." The magister wisely shook his head with a polite grin, "Just lead the way, Chisame-chan."

"Hey," the bespectacled girl leaned in close without warning, startling her teacher, "When we're out here you call me _Chiu_, remember that." And with that she held out an expectant hand.

The neko-prisoner tugged at the collar around his neck, running his fingers against his to let the length of the thick chain attached to let it slip into his hand and asked, "Um...you want this, I'm assuming." He held it out to her, letting the end of the chain dangle left and right from his palm.

_She nodded._

Negi turned his head to the side pathetically, "I kind of figured you did."

_**[B}_________________________{Y}_________________________{E]**_

The nurse behind the counter stared at the feline pair waiting to pay for their food and grinned mischievously as the wittiest question came to mind, "Will you be drinking milk with your meal, kitties." Her eyes swiveled toward Negi suggestively as the husky line left her crimson painted lips, sending shivers down said kitty's spine. The energy of this place, there were simply no words! Then something unexpected happened-

"Nyoo," Chisame purred sensually in response, catching her young companion off guard as she cocked her hips to let her tail pop out a little more noticeably from underneath the cut of her jacket, "The two of us will be fine with water-nyaa."

The nurse nodded appreciatively, seemingly taken by the net idol's act, "V-very well," She handed Chisame her change, allowing her fingertips to linger just long enough to feel the texture of her paws, "Enjoy!" She offered them a nod as they passed the register, but reached out and snagged the young magister back by the tail.

"Guh!" The male neko exclaimed, not expecting to be pulled back without warning. "Erm," He turned to look at the red-headed nurse hesitantly, "Y-Yes?"

"I'm here all night." She let him go with a blown kiss, one that the hapless young man could not find it within himself to appreciate. All he could manage was a weak nod in response to humor her before walking off to catch up with Chisame before she noticed that he had been held behind.

.....

...

"Nya?" Negi asked her with a dull look, moving his shrimp tempura along the sides of his plate with his chopsticks, "I'm kind of shocked." _From Konoka or Haruna, sure, but Chisame? Wow..._

Chisame felt her cheeks go warm at her comment as she swallowed the food in her mouth, "I'm playing the part. So what?" She replied evenly in an attempt to not appear flustered by his observation. "You need to be doing the same thing."

"Ehhhh?" That made his eyes go wide, "Are you serious?"

"For the sake of presentation, hell yeah." And she managed to say this with a straight face, "Haven't you learned anything from the last convention we went to?"

"Never dance with Haruhiists?"

"No!" The joke flew over the net idol's head. This was apparently a very serious issue, "Presentation is everything. You can dress professionally, but if you can't present yourself properly you're better off staying at home."

"I'll keep that in mind-"

"Nya." Chisame added to the end of his sentence sharply.

"Huh-"

"Nya." She repeated herself.

"Nya?"

"Exactly, nya." She said with a smirk, satisfied at his quick cooperation before adding, "You're a natural at this."

"That may be the first joke I've-"

"I don't joke, sensei."Chisame assured him, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Not about this."

Negi nodded slowly, "...Ahum...so you invited me again because I have potential."

She offered him a sly smile, "I'd hate to see it go to waste."

"Compliment or condemnation?" Negi cocked his head to the side in mock wonder, "Hard to tell."

"Bold words, kid." The net idol's glasses glinted in the light dangerously.

Negi grinned nervously at her response, "Just kidding." He chuckled in an effort to get back on her good side. "I'm glad that you feel that way though. It's good to know that my students have high opinions of me."

"Don't get full of yourself," She scoffed before tilting her head back to drink her water, "Potential doesn't mean you're guaranteed to greatness. You have to work hard to earn anything, sensei."

"I know," He smiled, his whiskers rising with the sides of his face, "I earned your friendship, after all."

"Yeah...you did." She almost sounded ashamed for admitting to it, "Of course, even that has potential to change." Her choice of words were harsh on his ears.

"Still a dreary one, though." Negi frowned, "It amazes me how fast that changes when you become _Chiu_." That little exchange with the nurse earlier was still fresh in his mind. He'd never seen the girl make that kind of expression in class before. When she attended these conventions she was a completely different person.

"There's different sides to everyone." She dismissed his last comment.

"...There doesn't have to be." Negi retorted after a short silence. "Don't you find it easier when you're genuine about yourself? You have so much to offer, Chisame-"

"And if I don't want to..." She turned her head away from him slowly before continuing, "...what then." Her tone almost sounded defiant.

Negi parted his lips as if to speak, but closed his mouth again to reconsider his words. It was a rather restrictive question, "Well...I suppose there's no room for argument, then. If you put it that way..."

"Masks are helpful in such situation." She turned her head to face him again, eyes narrowed intensely, "But you would know a lot about that, sensei."

Negi shook his head, "You know that I can't be open about that. There's no comparison-"

"I'm not talking about you being a mage." Chisame countered making the young man feel uneasy, "Even you're deeper than that, so don't lecture me about different sides when you're guiltier than me. Traits like those dwell in all of us."

He bowed his head slightly with a sigh. She really got him hard with that one, "You may be right, Chisame-chan. Masks are helpful for many different reason and many people, me included, have found uses for them, but _sometimes_ that isn't decided by our own will."

_**...Silence...**_

Chisame studies her teacher's expression after getting that reply. There he was again, switching to his _'other'_ side, the one that bothered her even more than the '_mask'_. The optimistic and timid boy was a cover for the other self that she was faced with now, of this was was sure. Many times she had seen the young teacher before this individual whenever he was pushed to break the facade and thought to herself-

_What are you afraid of? _She did not pity him. After learning about the circumstances of his childhood she did not dare, but she did feel something else, something that particularly frightened her stiff. A longing...and she simply could not understand it. Why was she drawn to him now? Two years studying under him and it suddenly strikes her now that she wants something from this kid?

It made everything else somehow seem false to her. All of the distancing, all of the masks that she molded onto herself throughout her young life, Chiu being the most recent; What were they for if all along she would find herself lacking after meeting some boy? She spent her high school life pushing away all of the 'freaks' because they posed nothing more than annoyances to her world of comfort and suddenly she betrays herself by opening the protective gates to the biggest freak of them all, a boy who could never find it within himself to give way to the truth. Compared to the girls of her class who were unafraid to flaunt their irregularities he was by far the strangest of them all...the enigma.

_In the end we're both afraid. _The net idol laughed to herself in front of the young magister, getting a confused response from him. _We're just perfect for each other, two confused cowards._

"What's funny, Chisame?" Negi asked unsure of what to make of her odd reaction. _Could it have had something to do with what I just said?_

"I just got the punch line." She answered him vaguely, only serving to provide him with more complex questions. _And boy was it cruel..._

Worry set in the young man's expression, "Hey, are you alright? Was it something I said?" His reaction irritated the girls causing her to furrow her brows upon hearing his question.

"Don't stare at me like that." Chisame growled, seeming even more intimidating that usual with the cat ears and canines to accompany the image. She looked about ready to pounce and take a bite out of him. "I'm fine."

"O-Okay..." Still, that laugh was rather unsettling considering the mood that came before it, but Chisame was as irritable as ever now so there was no real sense in investigating. This was about the time that Chachazero's advice came in handy. She had a surprisingly good handle over how to deal with female emotions...and that sort of thinking would have undoubtedly earned him a wincing pinch on the cheek from his faithful familiar.

Finding the silence between them disheartening, Negi spoke, "I wonder how the odds are stacked against us in this contest..." His loud musing relieved the net idol who also found the silence to be a bit of an inconvenience.

"Have faith in me," She told him without a hint of doubt in her voice, "We're a guaranteed win. There is no one else here that can possibly touch us. Trust me."

........

...

And so the couples entry of the contest began and the duo managed to find themselves listed as the final couple to go up on stage and do their skits for the judges and the audience. Negi felt confident in their chances of ranking highest since, as his partner smugly put it, he was with the great Chiu. The great Chiu, however, felt her own confidence failing the face of their staggering competition. It appeared that there was a reason why this event was considered to be the most popular entry of the contest. The competitors really threw down when it came their time, doing their hardest to out preform the contestants that came before them at the cost of their pride and public images. There was no shame in the game that they played. If their opponents tried to make it hot they would be hotter. There was no concept of too much moeness, no limit to the dare or risk! If boners were popped, good for them. Tissues needed?their problem! Hearts stolen and relationships broken? All for the good of that gold, baby!

_How old are some of these guys?_ The net idol blinked at the curvaceous geometrics showcased on stage, dimensions that she found herself...ahem... slightly lacking. It really pissed her off for some reason.

_W-Wasn't supposed to see that..._ Negi covered his eyes at one pose, the nervous smile refusing to leave his face. _Ah..._ He uncovered his eyes only to get struck by an eyeful of another suggestive shot. It really made him wonder- _What kind of competition was this again?_

Chisame's eyes were wide as saucers, _What are they doing? Is she honestly going to bend her body back that fa--_ Her thoughts stopped short, "Eww..." She groaned out loud, flinching when she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. "H-Huh?!" The hand belonged to Negi, "What's the matter?" And the expression on his face almost resembled horror.

"Are we going to be doing the same thing?" He turned his gaze back in the direction of the stage before whipping his attention back to her lovely face as though the sight he had been greeted with had slapped him across the face. "I-I don't know about this. There's something..." He paused as if considering which word in his vocabulary could prove sufficient in expressing his distress, but in the end he opted for- "..._wrong_ about this."

"Huhm?" She recoiled at his words theatrically. She could not believe him. He was going to bail on her, just leave her hanging because of a little competition?! _God, who the hell am I kidding? _She looked to the stage in time to see an Alkaid and Haseo pair get a little too into their act, with the young man _data-draining_ her in too convincing a manner that over practice may have proved true in this particular case. _Sensei is right...this is getting out of control. There's no way that...hey..._

Chisame suddenly turned on him, "Wait, what are you complaining about?" She gripped the chain attached to his collar and jerked him toward her, surprising him, "You're getting shy on me when the things you do are worse in comparison?!"

"Wh-What?!" He flinched at her accusation, "What are you talking about? I've never--"

"You're practically falling all over us all the time!"

Negi looked betrayed, "I-I n-never do it on purpose!"

Chisame looked hardly convinced, "And that time that you and Kaede-"

"Th-that wasn't my fault!" The magister cut her off defensively before she could finish bringing up that particular incident, "You girls had absolutely no business consuming alcoholic beverages!" He leaned back when his student cracked back at him like a whip, "And that time that me and Akira caught Mana mounting yo-"

Negi struck back at her, "We were doing morning stretches for our campus jog! We do that all the time!" He was red as a cherry, twiddling his fingers in embarrassment, and Chisame was simply becoming desperate. They were coming up next on the list.

_Crap, we're about to get called up! _"L-look, Negi-sensei, you're a guy. There must be something you've always wanted to do with one of us." She spoke to him hurriedly, glancing at the couple onstage waving to the applauding audience, "Just do what's natural for you! M-Make a mistake, I won't hold it against you!"

Negi looked just about ready to faint from hearing that, "Chisame, y-you can't be serious about that!"

"What's wrong?!" The net idol finally had enough of it from the spineless neko, shouting, "I'm not attractive enough for you?! It has to be one of those bim-"

_**..Next up! Our final participating couple, Chisame Hasegawa and Negi Springfield!**_

Chisame felt the blood drain from her face. _THAT'S US!_

Everyone in the audience burst out into applause immediately after hearing the mention of the net idol's name. She was considered a cosplayer of the highest tier and a popular contestant with more than a few awards and medals to her reputation. Knowing that she had finally decided to take a step up and compete in the couples entry only added to their already building excitement if not left just a few hardcore fanboys bitter for it. They would meet the lucky bastard that had gotten the honor of being her partner after the convention was over.

"O-Our turn..." Both contestants nearly suffered a coronary at that moment. Negi heard his heart pound loudly in his ears and felt his grow dry and constrict. Chisame's hands began to tremble without her knowledge and her body temperature shot through the roof. In short, the both of them wanted very much to have been somewhere else right about now and the people in the crowd were not doing anything to alleviate their anxieties, staring at them with great expectations in their eyes.

"L-let's go." Chisame whispered to the young vampire in a shaky voice. She never intended to wait for a ready response from him, tugging him forward by the chain in the direction of the stage under the air of tension that filled the large room. No one made a sound as the two padded up the short stairway to the center of the stage. It was as though they were waiting for something extraordinary to be witnessed before their very eyes. Unfortunately they were about to experience a bit of a harsh disappointment. Negi and Chiame stood silently before them without an idea of how to go about breaking the news to their audience. They were in no way ready to offer them the kind of spectacles that the other couples offered them. They were not bold enough, nor were they comfortable with each other on that particular level.

_What an embarrassment. _Chisame Hasegawa thought to herself, finding herself unable to bear with all of the confused stares. _In the end I suppose that I'm just as fake as sensei claims. _She glanced at Negi before letting her gaze fall quickly to the floorboards beneath her feet. Her throat tightened from the intense feelings of frustration that weighed at her and her eyes began to grow warm and moist with tears. She caught herself and bit back a curse. _Shit...not this. No...not now..._

Negi felt the chain slip out of the net idol's grasp and looked to her with a silent gasp. _Chisame? Is she about to cry?_

She felt her composure fading the longer that she remained onstage. _That's it. _A tear streaked down her cheek, infuriating her to no end. _I've screwed up enough. I seriously need to get the hell away from here-- _"Ah..." She felt a firm grip wrap around her arm gently as if Negi understood what she had been planning to do.

"Chisame-chan," Negi reached out with his other hand to grip her by the other arm and turn her to face him, "Are you going to run away from this?"

The net idol narrowed her moist eyes at him bitterly, "Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"But you stepped up here, didn't you?" He replaced his right hand from her left shoulder to her back, "You wanted this."

"But it's hopeless, "She retorted pessimistically, turning her face away stiffly, "None of us wants to go through this."

"...I'd like to." Negi told her, his expression betraying none of his feelings, "Against my better judgment...I'd gladly do this for you, but if this only hurts you later then I'm against it."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened at what she was hearing, "What...are you talking about?" She felt herself shrinking under his serious gaze.

Negi narrowed his eyes intensely, "Would you regret this later?"

"R..R..." Chisame's lips trembled, unable to get words through, "Regret...what?"

"Regret _us_." The young vampire answered her. His reply nearly struck the barely hanging girl witless. The judges and the crowd vanished from her mind. All she could think of in the space of that moment was the question that he challenged her with.

_Regret...Regret? What have I ever found myself regretting since I met you...since you invaded my world with all of your nonsense? I can't bring myself to imagine it...all you've ever given me is frustration. Frustration in myself, in my personal feelings and my views, but I've never disliked you for it. Sure, its pissed me off...probably kept me up on a school night...but the fact still remains... _"I never would." She answered him clearly, her expression as intense as it had always been whenever they engaged like this.

"I see," Negi confused her by running his other hand through her hair gently, removing the cat ears on her head. An audible gasp left her at the sensation of his fingers combing through her hair, one that had also been let out by the young women in the audience as if they had all been connected with her spiritually when it happened. Another breath nearly escaped her when he lightly pulled off the whiskers on her face with a smile and whispered, "Then accept this, Chisame." He stared deeply into her eyes and leaned in—but--

"W-Wait." She resisted him, placing both of her hands on his chest to stop him and surprising herself by realizing how broad it was compared to the size of her hands. She glanced down just to make sure her mind was not playing tricks on her before look back at his face. "You're g-going to do it?" The sides of her face was burning up to her ears, "In front of e-everyone?!"

Her response came in the form of a calm nod causing the heart in her chest to thump almost painfully. Her vision fogged up as her breaths became more pronounced and she feared that her consciousness would give out on her at any moment. Her lower lip trembled again as she attempted to speak her mind, dwindling as it was. "Bah....Baht...N-Negi--"

Her hesitation finally worked on the crowd's patience--

"_**Just relax, girl! Do it already!"**_

"_**What are you waiting for? Go for it!"**_

Her hands clutched at his shirt tightly, but the strength in her arms gave away allowing Negi to close the gap between their bodies and their lips. The entire room exploded in cheers and whoops of delight the moment the scene ended. The judges were all moved by the unexpected performance, too speechless to make any followup comments, and as for Chisame Hasegawa, all of her senses failed her. Her world had become an overwhelming mass of exploding fireworks.

* * *

_**[F] {V} [A] **_

* * *

Chisame stared at Negi from across the table...

...Negi looked up from his soup, sensing her eyes on him...

Chisame lowered her gaze to her food immediately.

"...Chisame?" Negi called to her curiously.

The net idol looked up from her food in a manner that made it seem as though it was a chore in itself, "What is it?" She asked in an attempt to speak to him in her usual unaffected way, though that proved to be difficult now for some odd reason. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that the kiss on stage somehow managed to rank them in first place, garnering her the respect and affection of new fans and possibly the other cosplayers that had been competing against them. Maybe it had to do with how everyone at the convention suddenly adored the hell out of them, fighting over the chance to take pictures together with them or simply to take pictures of the two of them alone to keep as a valuable souvenir, or how the girls glared at her enviously when she passed them by, arm in arm with her partner. Then again, why not just get to the heart of the matter and assume that it had a lot to do with the fact that Negi Springfield had stolen her breath away with the most mind-blowing kiss she had ever experienced. It was a far different beast from the pactio kiss that they shared a year ago.

"I was just wondering why you keep staring at me like that." Negi answered her, causing a furious blush to creep on her unforgivingly.

"Staring at you?" Chisame asked him through grit teeth, rolling her eyes away from him. "I'm not sure what you mean...."

"Okay." Negi dropped it aware that he was only making her uncomfortable by asking her about it, and she was grateful for it. It was about time that the little egghead caught on to things. "So," Chisame perked up when he began speaking again, "What's next on the agenda?" He looked at the clock hanging above the entrance to the cafe. "It's getting a bit late isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Chisame massaged the back of her neck with a relieved sigh. "...Maybe its about time that we headed back home."

"Sounds good to me." Negi told her with a smile. _I thought you'd never say it...thank god..._

The two cosplayers stood up from the table and prepared to head out with their trays in hand. When they were done emptying the contents into the trash and returning the trays and plates to their respectful places Negi and Chisame left the cafe and made way for the exit of the atrium, that was until Negi noticed something very peculiar about the conditions outside. In a word, _full moon_. He could see the brilliant lunar orb hanging in the sky from the large, half moon shaped window above the glass doors of the exit.

"Huh...I don't remember that in the forecast..." Negi stopped short taking his students by surprise.

Chisame stopped in her tracks when her teacher suddenly disappeared from her peripheral view and looked back at him questioningly through her rectangular glass lenses, "What's the matter, Negi?"

Negi tensed. "...Um...I suddenly feel a pain in my stomach..." The young magister lied to her, placing a hand on it to emphasize. "G-Go ahead. I'll, uh, meet up with you later."

"I can wait." She offered after giving it some thought.

Negi sweat-dropped at her courteous suggestion, "No, no." He declined with a few waves of his hand. "I think I'll be a while."

"Sheesh." Chisame's expression made it clear that she did not need to hear that. "Fine. I'll wait for you beside the men's changing room in the main building."

"...Um...okay." He nodded. She took his confirmation and turned to go ahead of him, passing through the exit doors to make her walk to the main building and yet even as she did, Negi understood that it really did nothing to improve the situation. _Okay, so I managed to have her set a good distance between us but... _His eyes followed the other cosplayers walking around outside. …._That really doesn't keep everyone else safe, does it? _He growled at his misfortune and headed into the bathroom as he originally intended. A young man dressed in a mobile suit, piloting uniform was washing his hands at the second sink from the door. He turned his head to regard Negi as he entered and offered a friendly smirk before shutting off the water.

"Negi, right?" He asked as he walked over to the hand dryer and pumped the button with a closed fist to activate it, "I saw ya' at the contest, bro. Pretty smooth."

"Thanks." Negi replied, eying him cautiously.

"Ya mind passing along your email?"

Negi frowned, "This really isn't the right time." His reply got an understanding response from the cosplayer.

"When you gotta go, you gotta go, right?" The pilot chuckled holding his hands up in a laid back gesture. He headed for the door to leave the restroom, but not without asking, "So...do I wait for you outsi--"

"No!" Negi cried out, exasperated by the pilot. "I'm going to be a while, okay?!"

"Oh." The pilot replied flatly before opening the door. "Kay." He closed it behind him at which point the young magister got down on one knee to ensure nobody else was in the restroom with him and rushed to the door to lock it.

"Alright then..." Negi said to no one in particular. "...where do I go from here?" He leaned back against the door and crossed his arms. "What now? Do I lock myself in here for the whole night and expect Chisame to leave without me?" He gave that idea some thought and-- "Stupid...that's a stupid idea. I don't think she would do that...even if it is Chisame." He walked to the other side of the bathroom and stopped dead still when he got a glimpse of moonlight pouring through a window beside the last stall. What were the odds?

"That's nice..." Negi said sarcastically. "That's all I really needed. A suicide room." It would only be a matter of time before the moon moved in position to invade the entirety of the room with its bewitching rays. _Game over....this is not the way I envisioned this happening. _Negi backed away from the moon spot and headed back in the direction of the door just as someone tried to open it. "Gu—" He slapped his hand over his mouth before he could gasp loud enough for them to hear.

_**Klaka-Klaka...**_

"_Oh man! They're closing up already!"_

"_Let's get to the main building then. They're probably still open over there."_

_**Klaka-Klaka!**_

"_Dude, quit it. It's not gonna magically open for you."_

"_But I havta go! Reeeeaaally bad!"_

"_Then c'mon! I don't have time for this shit."_

"_D-Don't saaaay that!" __**Blrprprprp...**_

"_AW! NO! JUST NO! YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT!"_

"_S-sorry!"_

"_Let's go! You don't have time!"_

"_A-Alright!"_

_~Silence~_

Negi heaved a sigh of relief before his vampiric senses picked up something horrible. "OH!" Negi jumped back from the door once his nose picked up the scent of the gas that was left behind. He backed away from the door as best as he could and before he knew it-- "...Oi..." He was in direct moonlight. If he was capable of as much anger he probably would have let out an endless chain of obscenities at the absurd circumstances that he allowed himself to fall prey to. _This is just not fair..._

_---------------_

Evangeline McDowell suddenly felt the irresistible urge to laugh, so she did.

"Hm?" Headmaster Konoe regarded her with one bushy eyebrow raised high. "Something amusing?"

"Huh?" The chibi-vampire blinked. "What? Pay attention to the match, old coot."

The headmaster blinked before looking back at the chess board. "But-"

"Oh." Evangeline noticed it too and moved her piece. "Check mate. You lose again."

"Drat."

"Say it."

The old man sighed.

"Say it." Evangeline repeated herself with her usual smirk.

"Alright." Headmaster Konoe grumbled, "Evangeline...you're awesome."

"That's right. Now set it up again, Kimosabe."

_---------------_

Negi's shoulders rose and fell roughly as he did his best to keep himself from falling flat on his face. He was on his hands and knees at the moment and his muscles had begun convulsing shortly after his body drank in the moonlight that had been pouring in through the restroom window. If this kept up any longer he was going to lose consciousness and that was simply not an option for the young magister. Evangeline already told him what would happen if he allowed that and the thought alone was enough to make him empty the contents of his stomach right then and there. Being that he was still practically a newborn in the vampiric sense he was far more susceptible to falling prey to his bloodlust than Evangeline McDowell was. Add the fact that he was containing a powerful dark ego within his soul, thanks to being the successor of said vampiress, and things were just not looking good for the young hero.

"Negi Springfield. Negi Springfield. Negi Springfield. Negi Springfield. Negi Springfield." He chanted to himself in short, breathless bursts. "I am Negi Springfield. I am no one--" He stopped short, clenching his teeth tightly once another strong convulsion passed through him. This meant that he was doing well. "I am," He continued in a strained voice, "Negi Springfield." He held to his concentration well until there was a loud knock on the restroom door, an agitated one.

"_Negi!" _Chisame's tone was rather angry,_"How long are you going to be in there?! It's been almost over an hour!"_

Negi did his best to remain silent as best he could. _Leave me....Leave me, please...._

"_Look..." _She sounded like she was attempting to calm herself, _"If you're sick just answer me. I'll wait for you."_

Negi clenched his teeth. _Just leave me...dammit...you're not making this easy._

"_That's it!" _Now she was pissed.

_**KBANG! **_The door creaked open to Negi's unthinkable horror and the last person he wanted to see stepped in slowly with a hand pinched over her nose. "Negi!" She started off angrily, but when she saw him on the floor in pain she switched gears in a flash, "N-Negi!" She rushed over to him quickly, their duffel bag slung over her right shoulder, but before she could get close enough--

"NO!" Negi roared at her, taking advantage of the pain he was feeling to make his voice as intimidating as possible. "Get out of here!"

Chisame dropped the bag to the floor and scowled at him, "The fuck is your problem?"

"Leave me alone!" He shrieked. "Go home!"

"You're obviously in pain!" She scolded him fiercely as she took another step forward. "Let me help yo-"

"You can't help me!" Negi growled viciously. "You're only...giving me trouble!" His retort shocked the young woman. She stopped, a hurt expression gracing her features for a brief moment before her anger got the best of her again.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, idiot!" She advanced on him, clutching him by the arm roughly and forcing him to sit up. She had absolutely no idea how much will power it took the young man from twisting her arm right then and slamming her to the floor. "You like to think that you're capable of taking care of yourself, but the fact of the matter is you're just a damn kid!" She lost control of herself, slamming him on to his back. "So just let me handle it!"

"Handle what?!" Negi snarled back at her, restraining himself with sheer will alone as she pinned him to the floor, or at least she would have liked to think as much. Every fiber in his being was telling him to kick her off of him and give into his desires. "Ch-Chisame! Do you even know what's going on?!"

"H-Huh?" The net idol leaned back.

"Y-You're in danger right now!" Negi felt tears welling in his eyes. "This is what...you've been wanting to see for so long! This is me...without my mask!"

"Mask?!" She questioned him, confused and still angry, "What sort of nonsense--"

Negi felt the pain going dull in his body. "This is what I didn't want anybody to see." He stopped to catch his breath before going on, "What I didn't want...any of you girls to see." He felt the urges melt away to the back of his mind, allowing full control to return to him. This was what the body wanted all along and now that she was here, so close to him, he was expected to carry out what was necessary. "You've witnessed me without my suit of armor, Chisame...the beast underneath the gleaming shell."

"Sensei...what are you?" Her words wounded him without her realizing it. "You're not just a mage are you—WHA?!" She cried out when the world flipped around faster than she could process a proper reaction. In just a few seconds she had ended up where Negi had previously been laying. The magister now had her pinned to the floor, looking down on her in a manner that just felt abnormal.

"Negi." Chisame felt her heartbeat accelerating again as she stared into his eyes. "W-what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Chisame." Negi's voice cracked as the tears started dropping on her face. "I really am..but if I don't do this of my own free will, then I don't know what will happen to you."

"N-NEGI?!" She did NOT like where this was going.

"You hit it on the head." Negi told her sadly, causing her to blink. "I'm not just a magister." He swallowed before he went on, "I'm a vampire, too."

She gasped.

"And right now...you've caught me at the worst possible moment." He explained to her as calmly as he could. "There's a full moon out, Chisame. When that happens the body is affected in the worst possibly way. The metabolism fluctuates abnormally, hormones go out of control, emotions become unpredictable...and it opens the passage to hunger. I can choose to allow myself to give in and slip away from the pain, but doing that also means that I' won't be in control of my actions. I can't afford for that to happen, Chisame...I can't."

"S-So what h-happens now?" She asked in a quivering voice. Her legs were pressed together tightly, trembling like branches in the wind "Are you going to... b-bite me?"

"I have no choice..." Negi said in a defeated voice, "It's the only way to silence the urges...I'm sorry...Chisame."

Chisame closed her eyes." No...this is my fault. You told me not to interfere, but I ignored you anyway. My frustration got the better of me and I just snapped instead of thinking the situation through, because...you just always have that effect on me. Negi Springfield...my foil."

"Chisame..."

"And here I wanted to see your flaws." The net idol laughed bitterly. "I wanted to see the individual hidden beneath the mask and I got my wish. You're magnificent, Negi Springfield. You're the genuine thing regardless of what forms are pressed upon you, whether you are the boy, the man....the beast...you retain the one thing that defines you..."

"What is that?"

"Courage." She answered him. "Something I'll never have."

"That isn't true." Negi disagreed with her. "Even now you're able to look me in the eyes despite knowing what I am."

"Because I trust you." Chisame replied with tears in her eyes.

"And there is nothing more courageous than that, Chisame." Negi cooed to her as he bared his fangs. She closed her eyes, exhaling softly as she prepared for what was to come and Negi descended upon her.

"_**Because there is no greater risk...**_"

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_

* * *

Yaaay! At long last, another installment to the series and the end of midterms! I'm able to heave a sigh of relief and face the coming of the second half of a very unforgiving semester. I'm sorry if it took so long to get this chapter out guys, but things have been hectic as usual. On the bright side 'FFXIII' gets released this Tuesday and I can-- I mean, I can move on to writing the next installment to the series without having to worry about exams for another month and a half! Heh heh...ahem...so, like, to note the developments so far: Negi Springfield and Chao Xue's rocky relationship has entered its first stage and the mage council is finally taking action within the plot. That should hold off any appearances of a Dark Mistress for a chapter at most since this arc will be fairly short. (Leading into the "Alice Dalziel Arc" A.K.A "The Amazon Clan Arc")

_Ah, time for the readerz dedication section!_

_9. Kaisis: Lol, I was hoping someone would catch on to the 'School Days' reference. Given the dangerous abilities that the girls of class 3-A posses, if it ever actually came down to them seriously fighting for Negi's affection the gore rating would likely reach the level of 'Berserk'...so why does that sound so appealing?_

_10. Wonderbee31: The first supporter of the Negi x Zero pairing! Admittedly, I never would have made her personal interests in the young magi so apparent if you hadn't come along with the idea._

_11. sangkun: I'd gladly put out a chapter for you everyday of the week if it made your day that much brighter...unfortunately I'm human. I'm sad now...._

_12. maelstrom969: To one of the closest following readers, its like a party every time I get a review from you! The energy I always get from you whenever you drop a comment is so oddly energizing..._

_13. Eskyle: This is a shout out to you wherever you may be! See, I remember all of my peeps._

_14. Sharp01: ...so this came quicker than expected. I guess I suck at scheduling releases, huh?_

_....But now its time for--_

* * *

Question Time: For the curious reader...

* * *

_**Q. **__It's been nearly three months. Have you forgotten about this?_

_**A. **No, but if I ever do I'll send you my address so you can personally find me and pass righteous judgement._

_**Q. **_Shall we be seeing a "Dark Chiseme"

_**A. **We certainly shall._

_**Q. **_Also... Asuna is Negi's aunt. You did know that, right?

_**A. **I heard about that, but don't worry about the two of them ever getting romantic with each other. I always thought of them having a brother-sister dynamic from my first impression of their relationship._

_**Q. **_I might be jumping the gun here, but, does this mean that Chisame, at some point in time, got turned by Negi? Or is it just her being a little playful towards Negi?

_**A. **I'll get into answering how that happened next chapter._

_**Q. **_On your previous Fang Vice Addiction, there was a part where Negi met Dorothy as a "child", uh, was that in the past or was that in a alternate universe?

_**A. **It's a possibility that might be averted depending on how Xue and Negi's relationship progresses through the story._

_**Q. **_Anyways...Is there gonna be people who's gonna travel with Negi (not the Mahora Girls)? Like another puny vampire, or a puny lycan, or Kotaro?? jus askin...

_**A. **Yeah, but remember...anyone can die...._

_**Q. **_Will negi be using that twilght magic tha apear in the first fic or that was a one time magic that he did only in the heat of his battle with eva?

_**A. **The 'twilight' magic will make a reappearance, but as it was stated in the original story, Negi needs to fulfill certain conditions to use it and even then, it could destroy his mind forever._

_**Q. **_Is this going to be the last fic of the fva series??

_**A. **That would depend. I'll return with an answer by the end of the year._

_**Q. **_What`s the deal with all the shock regarding Chacha`s changes? Eva in canon noted she might be growing a soul. Hell even indreictly she told Negi that passed it on to Chacha when they were making said pactio? Just curious if you knew or just playing it up for the sake of the fic?

_**A. **Mainly for the sake of the fic, but she's getting past it._

_**Q. **_Any chance you could extend the fight scenes a bit more. The guards were kinda lame. You used to do great battle scenes but lately its been dry in that department.

_**A. **__The fighting will return with a vengeance in upcoming chapters. Do take note though, Negi is outmatched at this point in the series._

_**Q. **_Lastly Will we see any lemons in this? I`m kinda curious since all these vampiresess are rather highly sexed or I`ve been led to believe anyway.

_**A. **I'm not sure if that's in good taste for this story. I'll have to bump this up into the 'M' rating section if it ever comes to that. I think the farthest I'll go is "Lime"._

_**Q. **_Was the start of Negi's relationship purely because of what Chao paid her to do, as in would she have got involved with him on that level anyway?

_**A. **If you're talking about Mana, I cannot disclose that information due to the love of living._

_**Q. **_Did Negi keep the figurines? I think it would be pretty funny for Negi to be visiting with Eva-chan on Christmas break and pull them out of his pockets and mention how they practically saved his life.

_**A. **Yeah. Its better than letting Lucinda or Reina finding them. I could only imagine the consequences of that happening._

_**Q. **_And when is Negi going to bite Eva-chan? Will she be his first drink from the vein?

_**A. **That being a pivotal point, I can't give you an answer. Sorry!_

And that's the end of that!

* * *

_**Take care,**_

_**Traingham...**_

* * *

Katherine Rosenthal and her crew of hunters entered a small bar that was set for business at the edge of the town they had come across. It was as they expected it to be, crowded with other weary and bored travelers with no business to attend to this late after midnight and they felt right at home among them. A young waitress took note of their arrival and stepped away from the bar to greet them and settle them in. She lead them to a wooden, circular table in the corner just a table away from the bar where a tanned woman in a black, long jacket dined alone. The German huntress stole a glance at her, making sure not to allow her eyes to linger too long. There was something about her that did not sit right with Katherine, but she could not quite place her thoughts on just why.

_Let me relax... _Katherine did her best to shove away the paranoia before it got the best of her. She took the seat with her back to the wall while Erna and Wilson took their respective seats at her left and right side. Mathew, and the Twins remained at the truck doing maintenance to take care of the damages that Lucinda McVicar left them with while Hayter went off in search of a junk shop in the area to acquire parts. It was a long way from the main HQ so they were going to have to manage on whatever they could find for the time being.

"Melissa is going to tear our heads off when she see's the condition of that truck." Katherine groaned. "Aiee. Why can't I ever bring the girl back in acceptable condition?"

"Because the worst always happens to us." Erna offered, not realizing that that was a rhetorical question.

"We're lucky that we survived that last encounter." Wilson reminded them. "This isn't something that we can stay quiet about. Whatever that...woman was...she wasn't something that we could deal with. We were completely outclassed."

"Don't remind me..." Erna mumbled, wanting very much to get Lucinda's smile out of her mind, but the image remained burned like a brand. "If it wasn't for Negi--"

"Don't say that name!" Katherine snapped at her comrade before she could finish. "Dammit...I don't feel like thinking about that guy right now."

"He saved us."

"He's the reason that monster came after us in the first place!" Katherine growled. "If I didn't pick him up...it never would've happened."

Erna rested her cheek in a balled fist, turning her head away from Katherine. "...I wonder if he's alright."

_**Kreeeek...**_

Katherine and her two partners looked to the other side of the table to find that someone had been eavesdropping on them the entire time.

"The hell?" Katherine recognized her as the woman who had been eating at the bar. _But...that's impossible. I never sensed her...I didn't even see her move away from her seat._

Mana Tatsumiya smirked at them, leaning forward on the back support of her seat. "Agents from the Holy Order, am I right?"

"That's right." Katherine answered the mysterious woman, letting her left hand slowly rest upon the holster of her gun. "What's it to you, stranger?"

"Your professions? Nothing." Mana answered her, the smirk melting away from her lovely lips to be replaced with a stoic expression. "But that name that you mentioned..." The lovely marksman trailed off for them to fill in the blanks.

"Negi?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. "What about him? What do you know about him?!"

"What do I know about him?" Mana asked, amused by how quick she was to shoot questions. "Plenty, but that's hardly the issue of what bothers me. I want you to tell me what _you _know about him."


	17. Interlude II: Blessed by the Horsemen

**_The Lawgiver blessed by Horsemen: the Story of the Master of Legions_**

_A Magister Negi fanfic for Traingham's 'By Your Enrapture'_

_Written by Spiritblade_

**_Disclaimer_**_:_This story is written on behalf of Traingham for his Magister Negi Magi fanfic, 'By Your Enrapture'. I do not own his story (isn't that obvious?) and the franchise (for if I tried, I will find an army of very angry people on my doorstep). But the Magic World is large enough for everyone, and holds enough wonders to rival Creation.

I give Traingham the right to change the story, so that it fits with his.

(O)

It began with the Great War.

It began when the arrogant and the ambitious reached for godhood and sought the means by which to make their dreams a reality. It began when powers whose time had passed long ago and those who wished to renew their war against the King of Heaven heeded these foolish princes and kings and showed them the way. But these potentates soon learned – or had known all along – that there was a price to pay to drink from the chalice that would grant them that which they desired.

And they paid it willingly. The _Mundus Magicus_ had two superpowers. To the North was the Empire of Hellas, which was populated by demi-humans, those who had in their veins the blood of the mystical races that were born – or created – in the First and Second Ages. To the south were the human-dominated lands of the Republic of Megalomesembria. For centuries, the two had lived in peace, until an incident turned two great allies against one another. That incident I speak of was the assassination of Hellas's Emperor and Crown Prince at the hands of members of the Devout, a Megalomesembrian extremist faction who wanted to bring the 'impure' Empire of Hellas under the righteous rule of Megalomesembria. One could liken them to the Old World's Nazis and Fascists, and one would not be far off the mark. But the Devout, like so many extremists factions within both Hellas and Megalomesembria, were puppets of a group called the Conclave.

It was they, these cursed traitors, who brought two ancient lands to near ruin; they who sold out their countries and their people for that which their masters – or mistresses – would neither share nor grant. Their schemes had left thousands dead and millions homeless. Cities as old as the world burned or fell from the skies, and the earth and sky were torn asunder as the songs and daughters of this ancient world – my home-world – turned their weapons on those they had once called friend and lover.

Into this inferno were born many heroes. The Thousand Master and the Ala Rubra – the Red Wing, as they were known in the tongue of the Old World – were but one of many. It was they who brought an end to the war. It was they who rallied the world in the face of an ancient enemy who sought to regain their rightful place as rulers of both the Old and Magical World. The final battle was fought in the ruins of the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ostia, the once grand metropolis whose majesty and legend was still evident in the floating islands and the ten thousand spires that pierced the azure skies in homage to the Unconquered Sun. In a sea of fire, amidst skies where gods, angels and heroes crossed swords, legends were made and fear trembled in the face of defiance. There, in the Imperial Manse, which stood at the city's heart, the Thousand Master Nagi Springfield defeated Ansera, the First and Forsaken Angel, the demi-goddess whose schemes had nearly led to the destruction of the world.

It cost the Thousand Master dearly, though. For a month, he laid in a coma, guarded by his comrades in the Ala Rubra, his lovers and the royal guard and battle-mages of two nations. When he awoke, it was to the cries of a jubilant people, grateful for the part he had played for bringing a terrible war to an end. We know that he did not stay in the capital of Hellas for long. The last time the Magic World had heard of Nagi Springfield was when he imprisoned the Dark Mistress Evangeline A.K. McDowell, an act that served to earn him the favour of the dreaded vampire queen's many enemies. The manner in which he had done so had earned the Thousand Master the admiration of even his most vindictive detractors. He defeated the Dark Evangel not through the sorcerous might which had laid the First and Forsaken Angel low, but by tricking her. Gods, I wish I could have been there when it happened. But enough; you already know this. You know about the exploits of the Thousand Master and his comrades.

Rather than wax lyrical on what you already know, I will instead tell you of what you do not. I will tell you of those men and women whose actions would never equal those of the Thousand Master's but who, like he, delivered the despairing and fearful to a safe harbour. And among those heroes, there are those who are reviled like the Anathema of old.

Maybe I should start at the beginning, and introduce myself while I am at it. My name is William Enders. I am a student at the Ariadne Mage School. I am – was – an inhabitant (one of the last few surviving, anyway) of the town of St. Germaine, which was located on the borders of Ostia, and which was destroyed in one of the last battles that saw to the deaths or imprisonment of the First and Forsaken Angel's generals and champions. I am also the squire and ward of one of the top agents of the Mage Council known as the Master of Legions. It is about him that I write this entry, one that is a repudiation of what most would know about my guardian.

I do not deny that he is a smug, self-absorbed twit whose insolent grin is all that would be needed to start a second Great War. Nor do I deny that his love life would have made even the Caliphs of Hellas green with envy – and the religious authorities in the Old World to excommunicate him in short order. But those are minor issues; the real reason why so many hate and fear him is because of his level of mastery in the Dark Arts. Dark magic is inherently corrosive; it drains the user of his or her very life force in addition to tainting the soul. One's flaws become more pronounced and it becomes more and more difficult for the Dark Mage to rein in his appetites as he progresses further down the Dark Road. But in return, the Mage is bestowed with power equal to that of an Archmage. He has it in him to break the very land and set the sky ablaze. That which was once beyond his reach soon becomes possible. Demons kneel in fealty and the ruling Princes of the Night extend a hand to those whom they deem worthy of patronage.

None walk the Dark Road without good reason. The price, as I stated before, is a high one. No mage with an ounce of common sense crosses this Rubicon without knowing that it leads to your burning the bridge. And my master knows that. His first step onto the Dark Road began when he was but ten years old when his city came under attack by a demonic army led by one of Hell's five ruling sovereigns: Sammael, Queen of Wrath. In the midst of that fierce battle, the Queen of Wrath came upon my master, and arrested the sword stroke that would have killed him as it did so many others. Instead, she asked my master's name and presented an offer. In exchange for serving as her agent on Earth, she would spare his city in which he lived.

Believe me, watching your home burn down around your ears and hearing your friends being turned to mincemeat a street away is a good enough reason to say yes – which my master did. And he knew what he was getting himself into the moment he took the hand of the Queen of Wrath and pledged his fealty. The rest, as they say, is history – some of which I think is best that I keep to myself. Now the question arises: why him and no other? Why a boy who can barely cast a basic _Firebolt_ Charm without burning his fingers and not one who is the school's most promising protégé? Why not the many warriors and mages who defended the city? Certainly, they would have been more suitable for whatever the Queen of Wrath had in mind.

The only answer I can think of after much thought and debate with the demons I have met – some of whom had taken part in the attack on my master's city – is this: Empress Sammael, Queen of Wrath and one of Hell's Five Sovereigns, sealed a pact with my master on a whim. But it was a whim which paid off handsomely. My master is regarded by many demons and rebel angels in the Queen of Wrath's army as one of its chief officers. The fact that my master has at his command numerous Heroic Spirits to act as his honour guard and advisors, as well as an elite legion of no less than 300 lesser demons (which I must point out, is a term given unto all supernatural beings regardless of divine or unholy heritage) makes him one of the most powerful (and uncrowned) Mage Princes in the _Mundus Magicus._

Indeed, my master could have made himself just that, his every whim catered to, instead of licking the boots (or pissing on it, as he so often does) of the Mage Council. And yes, I asked him for the reason why he would choose to work for the very organization that would do to him what the Romans did to Jesus Christ. And being the smug bastard that he is, he tells me that the Mage Council is predictable. Everyone (at least most of them) in the organization wants him dead – but every last one of them wants to be credited for the kill (and not in a way that would bring the wrath of the elders of the Council down on their head). The probability of one pack of assassins screwing up the plans of another, in this instance, becomes astronomical.

And it's not only the Holy Order sycophants in the Mage Council who want him dead. I heard rumours that no less than two Dark Lords and three Dark Mistresses want him in the ground. The Lycans have a bounty for the one who devastated the Winter Fang tribe (which my master claim was an accident – he had not meant for that First Age war-strider to go berserk and flatten the tribe's chieftain and reduce his sons to paste). The Heavenly Host want him shackled and locked up in a prison at the edge of Creation for seducing a high-ranking member of one of its Choirs. That incident caused quite a scandal, let me tell you (and left said female angel very, VERY happy). Oh, don't worry – it gets better here on out: the High Elves have not forgiven him for burning half of the Ancient Forest in his attempt to throw a Pit Lord and its retinue back into the Hell it crawled out of, and are most likely trying to arrange an accident in the not so distant future. And the Night Elves – that was the worst one and the most tragic. The Great War – and the Conclave – had corrupted one of its guardian demigods, and it had run amok, destroying several Night Elf communities and corrupting the very land it had once protected. The Mage Council had sent my master in, along with three companies of Holy Knights, to aid the Night Elves to try to seal the demigod. It was an endeavour, however, that came with an underlying warning to the Night Elf mages – they had best succeed in their attempt to heal the psychic wounds of the tormented demigod, or the Mage Council will put him down. Many Night Elves blame my master for that night, but I say that if he had not been there, the nation of Ashenvale would have lost many of its most powerful sorcerers and shamans.

The Dark Evangel once said in a rare interview given to Lil' Mika, the vampire nation's foremost journalist that hatred is a poor reward for heroism, and Death a poorer one for a lifetime of suffering. It makes me wonder who she had in mind when she spoke those words.

Lady Theresa had once told me that the Mage Council tolerated my master for one reason and one reason alone: they need him. They need someone of my master's calibre, a bloody sword that even the dreaded have good reason to fear. And he needs them as well. They are the means to which he can fulfil his oath to the Queen of Wrath when she appointed him her Huntsman. I have good reason to believe that Empress Sammael is fond of my master. She has lavished him with gifts and power, most of which allow my master to channel the tainted energies which would have destroyed him long ago and which allow him to smite his enemies. If she disapproves of his decision to join her enemies or his choice of companions, she does not show it.

My master treasures his friends and lovers. The first are but a handful as most are leery of being associated with a practitioner of the Dark Arts. Most are underworld figures, many of who owe my master a favour that they have no choice but to honour lest he come back a second time to do to them what their enemies could not. The second are (slightly) more numerous, and who warm my master's bed with a frequency bordering on scandalous. Of the 12 female Heroic Spirits that my master has contracted with, 11 share his bed and are most likely plotting to have his daughters swarm him when the time is right. They are not alone. My master's two Ministra Magi are most likely plotting the same thing. The first is Majikina Mina, a shrine priestess who works in the Old World and whom my master had fought alongside on many an occasion. She works as my master's liaison to the Kyoto Mage Association and is one of its finest exorcists and teachers. It was she who created many of the Charms and wards that my master uses to bleed the Taint from his body. The second of my master's Ministra is a woman named Rikku Armisael, who was born in Hellas and who is part of the Morning Star Adventurers' Guild, whom my master had met in the fourth year of his service to the Mage Council and who he and Lady Mina had met when the Devout were pursuing her and her party for the artefact they had managed to unearth from Ostia (which I later learnt consisted of a girdle belonging to the demonic steed of the Apocalypse which my master later rode, a suit of super-heavy jade plate latter worn by Lord Bayard, and three Daiklaves, which my father allowed Rikku and her party to keep as a reward for foiling the schemes of the Devout).

I cannot help but compare my master's lovers to the celestial bodies in the sky. Lady Mina, Lady Rikku and my master's Heroic Spirits are like the moon, the sun and the stars. Some, like Lady Mina and the Heroic Spirit Lilith, are like the moon – wise, gentle, seductive and quiet. Others, like Lady Rikku and the Heroic Spirit Strike, are like the sun – fierce, passionate, warm and sensuous. I have to admit that, without them, my master's personality and temperament would be less than pleasant. With them, he can contemplate a future, even if it is one where they will run him ragged in ways that would make my nose bleed and cause a Saint to faint.

I met them all, that day, five years ago, when my home of St. Germaine was in flames. The local garrison had been all but crushed by the Anathema that was one of the First and Forsaken Angel's generals. The horde that was sacking the city was all but unopposed, and any aid was hours – maybe even days – away. I prayed for a miracle. I remembered praying even as a black-armoured monster lifted a massive sword to end my life, instants before a white-robed, orichalum-armoured rider mounted on a demonic steed thundered past and cut my would-be killer in half with a Daiklave. I remembered the thunderous horn-blast that shook the city, a sound of defiance and a challenge to its destroyers. I remembered a beautiful white-haired priestess clad in Japanese armour leap from the flames, holding a power-bow in one hand, surrounded by Fair Folk Cataphracts, their gleaming, crystal spears ready to meet any threat. I remembered a blonde-haired woman pull me up, a jade Reaper Daiklave resting on her shoulder, a smile on her lips, as over a dozen Beast-men and humans wearing Gunzosha battle-armour and levelling reaper cannons and bolt-guns at the advancing tide of monsters.

'_Don't be afraid, kiddo.'_

And you know what? I haven't been afraid ever since. I was a child when I lived in St. Germaine. I was a man when I left it. And I will be more when I leave my master's home for the last time. My master and I were born in the days of the Great War. We will die when it is but a memory. But in the days from now till then, what a memory it will be.

_William Ender._

_Ward of Sheik Muhammad, Master of Legions _

_Student of Ariadne Mage Academy, Year 2, Class 8_

_12__th__ December 2012._

Fin.


	18. For Dreams and Ambitions

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Behave Irrationally_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

_Evangeline McDowell groaned in her sleep with a clear note of discontentment as her left hand patted at the bed mattress for her covers. After a few blind gropes proved them to be elusive the cranky vampiress opened her eyes and lurched her upper body forward to sit up in a manner more fit for an undead ghoul than an awakened human being. Her bloodshot eyes swiveled from the half naked mattress to the floor and she spotted her target, leaning over to the side and reaching for the wrinkled bed sheets like a spoiled child._

_I should still have time... _The thoughts dragged through her mind groggily as she pulled the covers over her bare form with hopes of getting a few more minutes of-

_***Knock*Knock* **_

_"Wake up McDowell." _An authoritative voice called to her from the other side of her bedroom door. _"I will not allow a repeat of yesterday, so don't think that you can shut your eyes and I'll go away."_

Evangeline curled into a ball under her covers and did her best to ignore her, keeping silent, but the person kept at it, knocking on the door a if they were intending to break a hole through it.

_"I can keep this up until it haunts you in your dreams."_

"Seraphina..." The platinum blonde vampire growled, taking her threat seriously as only she could say such a thing and hold true to her word, "...Leave without me."

_"You can't spend half of your days sleeping all the time. It's unhealthy for you." _Seraphina argued, finally staying her hand from the door much to Evangeline's immense relief. For a moment she honestly believed that she would carry through with it. _"I won't allow you to continue with this habit, McDowell. A proper woman mustn't give in to such bad customs."_

Evangeline scoffed, "Yeah? Watch me..." She turned over on her face, hugging her pillow.

Receiving the 'Undying Wizard's' challenge, Seraphina crossed her arms and looked over her shoulder for a moment before heaving a sigh in defeat. She did not want to resort to something so low, but Evangeline was leaving her with no other choice in the matter, "Very well, then. Lucinda wanted to handle this anyway so I guess-" The snow haired vampiress paused when she suddenly heard a loud, fleshy thump come from within, likely Evangeline falling off of her mattress, "-I'll just let her take over from here."

The door swung open slowly and Evangeline was there with a sour look plastered on her lovely features with no concern for her own state of undress. "I'm awake." She growled. "Happy?"

"I suppose, although I'd appreciate it if you'd make a habit of doing this without my assistance." Serpahina took a moment to pinch her arm, getting a scowl from Evangeline as she went on, "And preferably dressed. We may all be women here, but I'd like to maintain some semblance of decency among us."

Evangeline uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips with her chest puffed out as if to challenge her sub-commander, "Anything you'd like to add?" The sarcasm in her voice was subtle to the ears, but noticeable to one who understood the young woman's nature.

"We're representing Camilla out there." Seraphina gestured to the view of the city through the window in Evangeline's room. "Let us be on our best behavior."

"You jest, right?"

"No." Seraphina opened her mouth to say more, but Evangeline shut the door in her face before she could get through, "...No...I do not jest."

…..

…...

"Book shopping in the city of Prosperine!" Lucinda exclaimed as she pumped her fist in the air with mock enthusiasm. She allowed her arm to slump back at her side with a frown, "Perhaps one of the dullest selections for passing the time-"

"Unless your name happens to be Camilla." Evangeline added to the end of her fellow knight's sentence with a bit of mirth in her voice, walking the streets of the busy city with her and the rest of the crew.

Lucinda winked at her blonde companion, her hands laced behind her head as she walked with exaggerated swings of her long legs. Anyone walking in front of her would have surely been kicked if they didn't watch their distance. "Or Tepes. That girl follows Camilla around like a second shadow."

"So that's why she wasn't present back at our quarters when we were preparing to leave." Evangeline recounted aloud, her arms crossed inquisitively as she walked. "You wouldn't think that Reina enjoyed anyone's company with the way she distances herself all the time." She turned her attention from Lucinda to Serpahina when the snow-haired vampiress adjusted her pace to match her's.

Seraphina smirked, drawn from silence by the blonde knight's comment, "You'd be quite surprised, McDowell. Tepes is rather close to Camilla despite not being adept at showing it very well. They compliment each other on the field so well because of their trust in each other."

"Trust, eh?" Evangeline chuckled. "I envy that." She felt a hand rest on her shoulder after she said that, turning her head to find that it belonged to the ever near Lucinda. She was personally relieved that their days of sleeping in the wilderness were behind them. With separate bedrooms, the silver haired knight found it considerably difficult to coincidentally turn up next to her in the middle of the night so that she could snuggle up against her.

"What is there to envy, Eva?"Lucinda winked at her affectionately. "Don't we have something just as enviable between us?"

"No..." Evangeline punctuated her reply with a hard pinch to the hand resting on her shoulder. Lucinda snatched it back, licking the bruise. "There are very few who would envy our relationship."

"So modest!" She giggled, seemingly unfazed by her friend's cold response, though the pinch left her with tears stinging the sides of her eyes.

"Isn't that Commander Melchiah?" Morrigan's soft voice chirped from behind the three women causing them all to flinch in fright. They had all forgotten that the white mage had been accompanying them with how quiet she had been up til now.

"Clementine?" Serpahina spoke the man's name unfavorably. She, like Camilla, did not particularly like Melchiah Clementine. Such feelings had taken root since the days of the Nabercius military academy, back when the three of them first met one another. "Ladies..." She lowered the volume of her voice to a whisper as she drew closer to Evangeline's side so that Lucinda could hear her clearly. "Let us hasten ourselves. It would only waste our time to-"

"Too late." Lucinda interrupted her, openly pointing at the man they were plotting to avoid while he stared at them from the other side of the street, having taken notice of them. "He's seen us already." She alerted them, her brows drooping as though the sight of him drained her of her usual upbeat spirit.

Morrigan looked to the tall commander's side to find a tomboyish young woman that appeared close to her age with waist length, dark hair and twinkling, gold hued eyes. She walked proudly at Melchiah's side, falling in line with him so naturally that she easily passed off as a seasoned soldier. The girl was Morigan's opposite in every way, filled with confidence where as she could barely stand straight in the presence of her own allies without breaking a sweat.

"He has Lucifera with him." The white mage squeaked, sounding intimidated.

Evangeline smiled when she spotted a man at Melchiah's other side with shoulder length, wavy blonde hair and a seemingly glued suave grin on his face. His slim body build along with his handsomeness made him appear a little feminine, though his walk was so exaggeratedly masculine that it made onlookers think three times about his gender. "And would you look at that; Tristan." She smirked at Lucinda. "He's smiling at you, Lucinda."

The silver knight frowned, "And you're just going to let him look at me like that?"

The blonde knight frowned back, "Do I have a reason not to?"

"Fine, Eva." Lucinda humphed, turning her head away from her with a bored expression marking her lovely features. "See if I assist when Clemen-"

"Evangeline." Commander Clementine's smooth baritone carried across to them as he stepped onto the sidewalk with his two knight entourage. His cobalt eyes appeared to be solely on the platinum blonde vampiress, ignoring her companions as though they were nothing more than figures in the background of a painting. Serpahina scowled at the rude treatment and fully intended to call him out on it, but Lucinda beat her to it.

"Excuse me, oh-he of undeserving acknowledgment, who do you believe yourself to be, addressing my companion so familiarly?" The silver-haired knight took a step in front of Evangeline and crossed her arms obstructively. "I have a mind to educate you in the ways of proper etiquette, little boy."

"McVicar." Melchiah's eyes swiveled to her as if just realizing that she was present. He hated his squabbles with her. She had such a smarting tongue that he usually found himself on the receiving end of her remarks with Evangeline watching on as he suffered the humiliation. He hated her almost as much as he detested Camilla. "Your uncouth presence stands out far more when you speak. Do us a favor and press those lips shut."

"I'd be a bad friend if I allowed that to slide, you know." Evangeline spoke, her eyes sharpening upon Melchiah with a frightening smile. "It probably pains you to remember this, but one of the reasons you even stand here to insult her is because she was present to save your hide when your company crossed paths with the _Crimson Road._" She watched the shame briefly wash over his features and quipped, "Oh, so you do remember."

"McDowell." The girl at the commander's side, Lucifera, could no longer remain silent watching her beloved leader get attacked by these women. It made her blood boil to know that the blonde knight barely acknowledged the fact that Melchiah held an interest in her. She should have been honored, speechless, blushing like mad to know that she held the admiration of one of the most celebrated Commanders in Mistress Beatrix's legion, but no, she chose instead to mock him for it by acting as though she did not notice his obvious affections. For that reason and more, Lucifera hated Evangeline, cursing the day that she appeared before them and it should have come of no surprise that she happened to be a knight in _Camilla's_ company. That woman had an uncanny knack for attracting the most abnormal individuals to her side. Not that she herself was not something of notable oddity, the child of a coupling between human and vampire, a functioning dhampir. To think that the great general Beatrix would have knowledge of such a thing and still appoint Camilla as a commander in her legion. There was something to be said of the way those Dark Mistresses handled things. Their logic was born of a different philosophy of thought from the rest, but enough of that. Back to Augustus's confrontation with Mcdowell.

"You forget your place." Lucifera chided the blonde knight bravely, tempted to step forward and slap her, but Tristan was well ahead of her, appearing behind her with a comforting hand upon her shoulder to calm her temper and a smooth smile to pass along the message that it would have been far unwise to do such a thing. Evangeline McDowell was an unpredictable individual, seemingly unstable, and quite mysterious in the way she behaved. There was no telling how she would react if she was struck by a person she clearly did not like.

"My place?" Evangeline echoed the young vampiress with a fanged grin, lethal in its nature. "What place are you referring to, I'd like to know. When I last recalled, Camilla was my commander, not Clementine. I'll speak my mind if I want to." She looked ready to take on a challenge from the young woman, but she flinched when Serpahina grabbed her wrist without preamble before she brought her her lips to her ear.

"Calm yourself, McDowell." The knight of snow whispered soothingly, "How would Camilla think of you if she found out that you were so easily provoked out here in the streets?" When she felt the young woman's muscles relax under her words of console she pulled back, smiling at Melchiah and his crew.

"As you can see, this meeting was marked with ill fortune from the beginning, Commander Clementine. Perhaps you should walk along before we all begin to despise one another." Her smile twisted into a lethal grin, not unlike the one Evangeline flashed at Lucifera a moment prior, before she concluded with a, "Please..."

Melchiah frowned, bristled by Seraphina's interruption, "Don't try to shoo me away, sub commander Elman. My business with Evang-"

"McDowell." Lucinda corrected him before he could finish getting the name out of his mouth. He glared at her briefly and continued, "My business with her doesn't concern you or McVicar for that matter." He seemingly overlooked Morrigan, though that could have been forgiven since she was practically hiding behind Evangeline and Lucinda, only poking her head out occasionally, however-

"S-Stop it!" The timid white mage finally stepped out into the open, staring Melchiah in the eyes in a rare display of bravery. "The sub-commander asked you to leave, Commander Clementine. P-Please do before we all get in trouble." Her words fell to deaf ears as the towering man looked down at her and laughed.

"I take it that you're Morrigan Slade, the mascot of Camilla's company." He leaned over, lowering his handsome face so that they were eye to eye. Morrigan blushed at the proximity, wanting to put a distance between them but her legs suddenly felt like jelly. "I'd heard rumors about the adorable white mage that served under her command, but this is my first time meeting you. I've also heard that your skills are rather exceptional..."

"...Ah..." Morrigan squeaked when he brought a finger to the tip of her chin, stroking it gently as though she were a kitten. "A-Ahm..."

"How would you like to join me?" He offered her with no respect to her fellow knights as they watched on. Lucifera also appeared to be put off by the proposition being made in front of her, but even the look of irritation on her face could hold no candle to Lucinda's reaction.

"Back off, Clementine." Lucinda grabbed the white mage by the shoulders and pulled her back from Melchiah, holding her protectively. "We're all happy where we stand. None of us want to serve under you so piss off already."

"And what about you...McDowell?" Melchiah addressed Evangeline, looking to her mischievously. "Are you happy where you are?"

"What are you spouting now?" The blonde knight growled, agitation finally marking her lovely features from the commander's persistence.

"Doesn't in bother you to be kept on a leash all the time?" His question got her narrowing her eyes.

"You speak impulsively, Clementine. I'd mind my tongue if I were you..."

"But it's true, isn't it?" Melchiah went on, shrugging his shoulders. "I heard that you and Camilla have very different views about matters pertaining to combat and war. I could even see it during our joint operation in the Vetis canyon. You two clearly butt heads on many different subjects, but you usually find yourself submitting to her will in the end. What an unhealthy relationship you two share." He smiled arrogantly. "It seems to me like she doesn't give you the opportunity to shine. Don't you feel like she's holding you back?"

"Yeah. I do feel like she's holding me back." Evangeline answered honestly, shocking her fellow knights. "Camilla is trying her hardest to instill a discipline in me, to curve my appetite for blood, and refine me in the process. Because of that I've been forced to do things differently. I've been forced to understand others, and dissect situations that I would much rather approach directly. She's like a constantly nagging, older sister, always watching my every move and attempting to correct my mistakes, but...there's something refreshing about that."

"What?" Melchiah's triumphant grin went sour, caught off guard by the unexpected tone in her response.

"You see, until now I've been traveling the world alone. It's been a harsh journey for me so I've been forced to adopt mannerisms of the distasteful nature. It's the only thing that's kept me alive so far, but now things are different, and it has taken me a while to digest that, but I understand. Camilla was originally reluctant to let me join her because of the type of person I was, and according to her I still have more than just a few rough edges to smooth out, but she's willing to stick through with me and assist me in overcoming them." Evangeline smiled mischievously. "Anyone with that kind of nerve earns my respect and my trust...who knows, perhaps even my loyalty." Her smile faded, her expression unreadable. "You disappoint me, Clementine. I figured you were a clever man, so initially I was wary of you and the games that you might try to play with me, but now I know I have nothing to fear. You can't take me. You don't have my trust or my respect and I doubt that you'll ever earn them because of your overall character. You hold steadfast to your pride and ambitions, unable to take the well being of your comrades into account because of it, and that is your flaw as a commanding officer."

Melchiah's skin tone was almost pale by the end of her speech. He looked like a man that had been struck down one too many times in a short period of time. "What do you mean to say...McDowell? Are you telling me...that I'm not worthy of my position. Is that it?"

Evangeline smirked, "Who am I to say, Clementine? I don't know what it takes to be worthy of commanding soldiers. I've seen many leaders with questionable qualities, but they are where they are for valid reasons, I suppose. I do know one thing though: You are not worthy of me."

"...I see." Melchiah responded after a long pause. "...I suppose there are many things I must reflect on."

Lucifera reached out for his arm hesitantly, "C-Commander-"

"What are you doing?" Melchiah caught her sympathetic gesture and stopped it with a glare. The young woman quickly dropped her arm to her side, hiding the pain and anger she felt under a dispassionate mask. "We're going." He ordered his two knights gruffly and turned to walk off, but he stopped in mid-step and turned his head to regard Seraphina for a fleeting moment before offering her a salute and proceeding on his way again.

Evangeline did not even wait for him to pass off into the distance before she took her eyes off his back and turned to face her friends. Lucinda and Serpahina stared at her with shock still written across their faces while Morrgian looked up at her full of admiration. It remained that way in a pregnant silence between the four of them until Lucinda hunched over without warning and broke out into laughter, her shoulders rocking up and down as she hugged her sides. Seraphina was swept in the mood, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the laughter that joined along and Morrigan was infected by it as well, giggling openly for the first time in them knowing her. Evangeline, who had been trying to maintain a straight face through it all, found herself submitting to it eventually, joining them until-

"Lively morning, I see." Camilla's voice intruded, getting all four of them to flinch and stand at attention reflexively. The crimson commander stood right beside them casually with an overstuffed, brown paper bag cradled in one arm, books peeking out of the punctures that their pointed edges poked open. There she stood perpetually smiling like a rabbit that had just emerged from a carrot patch, or in this particular case, a bookworm from a bookstore...ahem. Reina Tepes stood beside her with a similar looking paper bag cradled in one arm, though the expression on her face was still the ever present serious one. She was a closed book, that one. It made the others wonder if the same expression endured through her childhood.

"When did you get there?" Evangeline asked, her face burning crimson from embarrassment.

"Never sensed them heading our way..." Lucinda mumbled to herself.

"M-My apologies, commander." Seraphina went straight to the formalities with an apologetic bow. "We were heading to the bookstore, but-"

Camilla waved away her concern with her free hand, "No need for that, Elman. You three don't seem like the bookish type anyway."

"Eh?" The white haired knight blinked. "I think you misse-"

"Slade..." Camilla walked past Seraphina, fishing through the half ripped paper bag to hand something to Morrigan. "Here you are. One of the first in print."

"A-Ah..." Morrigan blushed bashfully as she held a hand out to receive the gift. "What...is it?"

"A book called, 'Little Women'." Camilla replied. "Its rare that we receive any books from the human culture, and it caught my eye. I figured you might like it."

Morrigan ran a hand down the spine of the book and sniffed the fresh pages before smiling to her commander with a faint, "Th-thank you."

"Tell me when you're done with it."

"O-OK...um..." Morrigan noticed that the older woman's hand was still gripping the other end of the book. "...Commander?"

"Oh." Camilla caught herself, letting go of the book reluctantly. "Sorry about that. I do grow attached to them quickly...tell me when you're done with it...yeah?"

"Yes ma'am." The white mage nodded, holding the book to her chest like a personal treasure.

"Also," Camilla turned to regard Evangeline who had been staring directly at the back of her head until a second ago, "I'm proud of you, Evangeline."

The Undying Wizard blinked at her words, feeling her throat tighten to the point that she was unable to respond. She went rigid when the crimson commander placed a hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair soothingly with her fingers. She felt tingles run down her neck, causing her to blush like mad.

"To be perfectly honest I thought the day was far off before I'd ever tell you this, but you've really matured." She stroked her fingers through the back of the blonde's head and dropped her arm at her side.

"Why...do you say that?" Evangeline asked, gripping her shoulder like a shy teenager.

"We saw everything." Camilla answered. Reina nodded from behind her as if to support her words in the case that the others thought them to be false.

"Everything?" Lucinda blurted out, eyes widening. "Bu...But if that were the case, then why didn't you two jump in? It would have saved us the trouble." She placed her hands on her hips, genuinely annoyed by their idleness.

"You can't expect us to hold your hand on and off the battlefield." Initially the women had been under the impression that Camilla was a skilled ventriloquist since her mouth had not moved despite the fact that sound had come from her, yet there were two points that contradicted that idea. For one, that had not been Camilla's voice; even she could not sound so cold. Second, it had come from behind her...which would mean that Reina Tepes spoke...to them. Reina Tepes had spoken...as in, communicated with them. All were shocked by this with the natural exception of Camilla who looked over to said woman and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"I am." Reina replied.

"I spotted a nice looking bistro down that other street we walked through earlier. You remember which one I'm referring to, right?"

The quiet woman stared at Camilla for a moment before understanding flickered in her eyes, "That one also caught my eye."

"Let's go there." The crimson commander suggested before handing Seraphina her paper bag of books. "Take that back to the suite."

"Yes ma'am." The snow haired knight nodded obediently.

"Reina," Camilla looked back at the young Tepes, "Give your books to Evangeline. She'll take them back for you."

"W-What?" Evangeline responded at the mention of her name only to feel a weight press up against her chest, fully awakening from her daze. She then realized that Reina was trying to hand her a bag of books. "What's going on" She asked, receiving it clumsily.

"Take that back to the suite." The lovely commander answered her before offering her a friendly wave and heading in the other direction with Reina. "We'll all meet later."

Lucinda blinked, "You mean to tell me that she only invited us to come along so that she could dump her shopping bags on us and be on her way with Tepes?"

"Come now, McVicar, don't take it that way." Seraphina eased her, seemingly unfazed by their commander's selfishness. "The walk back isn't long."

"Right," Lucinda replied sarcastically, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder, "It's only thirteen city blocks in the direction we came from."

"Exactly." The other woman nodded.

"You're mocking me...aren't you?"

"Whining about it will only waste time we could be spending indulging our own interests." Evangeline got their attention, tossing her chin in the general direction of te hotel. "Let's get this over with."

Seraphina smiled at her, "What an admirable attitude, McDowell. This rouses my suspicions."

"What do you mean?" Evangeline found herself grinning inexplicably.

"You're glowing, you know that?" Lucinda observed from right beside her. It was a mystery as to how she got so close unnoticed. The devilish smirk that appeared on the silver knight's lips unsettled Evangeline, making it worse when she added, "You were blushing when Camilla patted you on the head earlier. It was quite cute."

"Huh?"

Seraphina appeared to have gotten into the teasing mood, following along with Lucinda's example as they began to walk, "Could it be that our dear Eva is happy because the commander praised her?"

"As if." The blonde knight denied them the truth. "I'm not that easy to win over."

"Heeey, we don't blame you." Lucinda teased her mercilessly. "You wouldn't be the first girl to have her heart stolen by the crimson fox of the battlefield. She has that sort of effect on everyone with her big sister attitude."

"Funny." Seraphina chuckled. "She said something similar in her speech to Clementine earlier, didn't she?"

"She did." Lucinda nodded.

"Can we find something else to talk about?" Evangeline growled, finally getting irritated. "I don't want this to haunt me all day."

"We're just teasing." Lucinda told her warmly with a nudge to the rib. She held a hand out to her, drawing her suspicion with a, "What do you want now, Lucinda? I am not holding your hand."

"I want to take that load off your arms, that's all." She replied innocently, pointing to the bag of books cradled in her left arm.

"Whatever." Evangeline handed it to her without a second thought. "Don't expect any rewards from me later."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I already have my compensation in knowing that you really do care for me." Her reply caused the other woman's thought processor to hit an unexpected jam.

"W-What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember, McDowell?" Seraphina asked. "You might not have noticed it then, but you referred to Lucinda as a friend. It was very kind of you to stand up for her back there."

"You were really something, big sis." Morrigan remarked cheerfully, looking up at her with a smile.

"You're right about that." The silver knight agreed with the white mage, "I've never seen Clementine look as beaten as he did back there."

"I certainly enjoyed the sight." Seraphina chuckled.

Evangeline grinned, "Well, the man needs to learn his boundaries. Reputation alone won't ensure a victory in every confrontation."

"But Melchiah isn't a man to be underestimated, McDowell." Seraphina warned her, her expression growing serious. "He is a fellow who plans the moves he makes. You must be careful now that you've personally caught his eye."

"That man is an arrogant fool if he thinks that he'll steal away Morrigan or Eva from us." Lucinda smiled at the others. "This is our family and no one will change that."

"Well said, McVicar." Seraphina smirked. "A war family, but sisters in arms nonetheless.

"A family, huh?" Evangeline said so low that only she could hear the words that left her mouth. "...Why not?"

* * *

**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

"...Damn..." Evangeline McDowell laid in the warmth of her bed staring up at the ceiling, the sides of her cheeks itching with irritation from the ghosts of dried tears. In the past the dreams of her old life haunted her on occasion, reminding her of the world she left behind and the faces of old friends that filled it, but as of late they had been plaguing her every other day. She hated it, the feeling of warmth and security that enveloped her consciousness, only to be stolen away from her when she returned to the bitter harshness of reality.

_You expected so much more from us, Camilla...but we were still just naive girls back when you left us. The idea of changing the world overcame us so much that we fell victim to the temptations that came along with receiving such power. In the end we became nothing more than villains..._

The tiny blood sucker gripped her forehead and grit her teeth, resembling a ferocious wolf for a moment before she forced herself to sit up in bed. It probably did not need any noting that she was not a morning person, especially now that she didn't have her stress reliever (_Negi Springfield_) around to help her mood. Showers were lonely, breakfast was dull, and the daily blood packets just didn't satisfy her as much as they used to. Admittedly the idea of going out on a evening prowl for some of the fresh stuff crossed her mind once or twice, but the promise she made to the young boy wizard kept her from giving in to the temptation no matter how strong it was. "Damn jerk. You're not even here and you still find ways to annoy me."

"Mistress, you're awake..." Chachamaru's voice drew the vampiress's eyes to the door of her room where the gynoid stood.

"Yeah, what gave it away?" Evangeline mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"It is two in the afternoon."

"Huh?" The little girl's eyes widened briefly before she groaned, narrowing them. "I missed class again."

"This will be the second week in a row, mistress." Chachamaru warned her. "Are you not worried?"

"About what?"

"Negi-kun will be disappointed in you when Takahata-sensei informs him that-"

"And what is the _boya _going to do to _me_?" Evangeline cut her off, placing a hand on her chest. "If he wants me to go to class so bad, then he should do his job as a teacher and be there to teach me, don't you think so? Besides, I don't want to see Takamichi's stupid face, much less hear his voice. He irritates me."

"Mistress...you seem to be returning to your old ways again."

Evangeline stared a her with a dull expression as though her words bored her. "You're talkative today, you know that? Brew me a fresh pot of tea would you?"

"Blood-line tea?"

"No, no." The chibi-vampire shook her head, sticking out her tongue in disfavor. "A black tea would do me nicely."

"We have Darjeeling and Nilgiri." Chachamaru offered with a slight bow.

"No Keemun?"

"I brewed the last of it yesterday, mistress."

"And why didn't you go out and buy more?"

"I was waiting for you to come with me."

"What?" Evangeline cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why would you do that? You can go on your own, can't you?"

"Yes." The gynoid nodded, "But I would like for you to accompany me."

"Are you serious?"

"Mistress, you have not left the house in two weeks. It would do you some good to leave every once in a while and get some fresh air. The sun would do nicely for your skin as well."

"I'm a vampire, Chachamaru."

"That is true, mistress, but you are unaffected by UV rays. Your case is flawed."

"Look, Darjeeling, alright?" Evangeline told her servant with a few flicks of her wrist to send her off. "I'll think about it." Her response brought a slight smile to the gynoids face.

"I am pleased to hear that, mistress. I would also like to inform you that you have a visitor."

"Hm?" Evangeline blinked a few times before a scowl came upon her cute features. "If its Goodman send her away. I don't feel like training anyone today."

"It's not. In fact, Takane Goodman has not paid the house a visit for a weeks time already."

Evangeline smirked, "I guess I finally broke that girl. I didn't think that she had it in her to begin with. Anyway, who is it then?"

"Tatsumiya-san." Chachamaru answered, her eyes narrowing slightly. It was hard to tell what the gynoid personally thought of the lovely marksman, but body language did speak louder than words sometimes.

"...You don't say..." The vampiress mused with a fanged grin. "I had a feeling that she would eventually come meet with me."

* * *

_**~...There is no shame in fear...~**_

_**~...The desire for power is natural...~**_

_**~...All are not without their flaws...~**_

_**~...Hold out your hand...~**_

_**~...I am near...~**_

_**~...I am always here...~**_

"Guh!" Negi Springfield's body shot upward into a sitting position with a start, shallow breath leaving his lips, and his skin slick with sweat. He reached out to the lamp sitting on the nightstand beside his bed with a shaky hand and switched it on before checking himself. He popped open his pajama shirt and ran his fingertips along his chest. "No blood," He gasped out before running his trembling fingertips along his lips, tracing them down to the tip of his chin, repeating himself, "No blood..." The relief in his voice was almost too painful to listen to.

"Master Negi..." The young magister looked down at his lap to find Chachazero staring up at him with her softly glowing, emerald eyes. She was dressed in her tiny sleeping gown, her sleeping cap drooping to the side. "Again? You should call Eva-san and inform her about this." He could tell that she was concerned for him even though her face was unable to express her feelings.

"No..." Negi spoke in a composed voice with a shake of his head. He reached over to grip the collar of his shirt and adjust it so it fell over his shoulders properly. " I can handle this on my own. I've been dealing with it alone for two years already."

"Yeah, but this is the first time you've been away from her for so long. You're naturally more vulnerable to your dark ego without Eva nearby to keep it in check."

"She's likely grumpy enough as it is. If I told her about this there's no doubt in my mind that she would only get angry."

"Angry?" Chachazero echoed his sarcastically. "About this? I'd say more like furious that you allowed it to progress this far without telling her earlier."

Negi managed a smirk, one that gave the puppet a good idea of how worn he was. "Well, yeah, exactly. Who knows what she might try to do..." He thought back to the time so long ago when she popped up in Kyoto. There was no guarantee that she wouldn't try it again just to drag him back to Mahora by the hair.

"Master, darkness lurks in the hearts of all living things." The puppet gripped the smooth, cotton fabric of her pajama pants, "There's no shame in fea-"

"D-Don't say it." Negi cut her off before she could finish. "Don't say that..." His expression grew melancholy as he averted his eyes from her own.

The puppet bowed her head slightly. "...Master."

...

...

"Wake up, Negi." The rising sun peeked into the room through the half closed shades, warming the covers draped over the young magister's sleeping form. "We've got lots on the agenda today. Work, examinations, tests, experiments, but we can't start without you!"

"...Hrm..." Negi groaned, pulling the covers over his head. "Grbm..." He mumbled in a low growl.

"Come-" The door swung open and Xue entered, already dressed for the day with the aura and grace of a morning person emanating from her. "-On! Wake up, Springfield!" She walked over to the bed and gripped his covers before ripping them off of him. The sight that welcomed her underneath brought a small smirk to her lips, "Aha...impressive. "She grabbed the sleeping young man by the shoulders and gently shook him.

Negi opened an eye halfway, "Hwuh?" His eyeball rolled to the side for a moment before focusing on her with noticeable effort. "Chao...?" He said her name softly. "What time is it?"

"It's six in the morning." Xue answered him. "Time to open the restaurant." She let go of him and walked over to the window to pull across the shades for the sun to shine in fully, not taking notice of how Negi immediately curled into a ball when the rays struck his face and rolled off the side of the bed, hitting the floor with a thunk. She turned around to see him twitching in pain and blinked, "What are you doing down there? Get washed up and meet me at the restaurant."

"Yeah..." Negi responded in a pained grown, satisfying the proud scientist enough for her to leave him to his own devices. When Xue was out of the room Chachazero crawled over to the edge of the bed and peeked down at her master, asking, "Are you alright?"

"...No." Negi answered after a long pause.

As usual the restaurant was filled from corner to corner with customers coming in to fill a table whenever one became available. The girls walked back and forth from the kitchen to the tables at speeds that left even Negi in the dust and he was still doing his best to adjust at an acceptable pace despite it being his fourth day on the job. Yes, four days had passed since the day he had been forcibly made a member of Xue's restaurant family/ test subject / assistant. The mornings working as a waiter were hard, and the afternoons assisting in the Chinese scientist's tests with the Cassiopeia Zero left him too exhausted in the evenings to do anything but lay in bed until Xue called him down to have dinner with her. He wasn't sure when exactly she intended to let him go, but every single day was another possible day for Lucinda to just show up at the door and cause another mess for him.

"Good morning!" Negi greeted the customers at one table with a smile. "My name is Negi Springfield and I will be your waiter. Can I start you off with some drinks?"

The women, rare visitors to the restaurant for obvious reasons, all blinked at him and shared a look before one of them spoke up. "I'll have tea." The brunette answered.

"I will too." The younger looking woman seconded.

The third one, a red-head with glasses, stared at him for a while before her lips trembled to speak. "Um...me too..."

"Very well." Negi nodded. "Just a moment please." With that he turned around and left to get their drinks, overhearing the three women discuss behind his back over how odd it was for a young man to be working at the restaurant. He was at the counter before it escalated into the subject of his physical features.

"What will it be, Negi?" Lisa, the waitress behind the counter asked with a knowing smirk.

"Tea." Negi answered her. She turned to get him what he need, but he stopped her before she could get far. "Lisa!" She paused and turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Where is Xue?"

"She should be in her office right now."

"Alright...um...do you mind taking the tea to my table for me? I need to speak with the boss."

Lisa nodded cheerfully. "Sure."

"Thanks!" Negi hopped away from the counter and trotted in the direction of Xue's office, turning in mid trot to point at Lisa and chirp, "I owe you!"

Lisa merely smiled at him until he turned away again, "And you will, Negi. You and that cute butt of yours."

….

….

_***Knock*Knock* **_

Xue looked up from the formula she was jotting down in her lab journal and called out, "Come in." When Negi opened the door and entered she smirked at him, tapping the eraser end of her pencil on the desk. "Welcome, Negi. Already thinking of quitting?"

"I can cook." Negi blurted out without preamble.

"Excuse me?" The chef/scientist raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I can cook." Negi repeated himself. "Let me work in the kitchen and I'll show you. I'm a very good cook. You won't be disappointed with my skills!"

"Negi-"

"Xue, believe me." He assured her, only to get a skeptical look in return.

"You think you can cook the dishes that we have to offer on the menu?"

"Even better! I'll add new dishes to the menu!"

"...Its not that simple, Negi. We serve a particular style of cuisine here. I can't just let you come in and introduce a completely different style of cooking to the menu. It would ruin me."

"This style of cuisine is my specialty." Negi told her with a grin. _After all, I was taught by one of your daughter's former assistant chefs. It should be pretty similar...I think..._

"Fine." Xue finally said after much consideration. "But," She said before a smile could break out on the young vampire's face, "If I don't like it you'll be bumped down to bathroom cleaner." A grin evil enough to rival Evangeline's crossed her lovely lips. "And you'll be using a toothbrush."

Negi sweat-dropped. "...Okay."

"Alright then." Xue set down her journal and rose from her seat, smoothing out the wrinkles from her qipao before gesturing to the door with the grin still highlighting her features. She looked as though she was enjoying the idea of the conditions of their deal a little too much. "Let's see just how good you are, Negi. I'm looking forward to it."

Xue lead the way out of the office, leading him down the hall and into the kitchen where her girls were preparing the different feasts that were being taken to the customers outside in the dining hall. Different smells tingled Negi's senses as he passed the many sinks and counter tops that were being used to wash vegetables, boil noodles, dice onions and leeks, and slice different varieties of meats and fishes. All of Xue's appointed chefs worked so gracefully with their hands that the young magi already felt his confidence dwindling as she brought him to an unused cooking station.

"Here we are." She said as she ran her hand along the surface of the table with an affectionate stroke. She appeared to have a sort of attachment to it. "This is where legends are born, Negi, and where dreams are made into a reality. Of course, that isn't guaranteed...if you do not respect the art." Her eyes narrowed purposefully, "And even then you must have an understanding of what you are creating. This isn't something you can get out of a cookbook, understand?"

Negi nodded without hesitation.

"Hmhm..." She hummed appreciatively. "I see no hesitation. I like that, but I do sense unease in you. If this is about the conditions of our deal, don't let it weigh your mind. If you are sure of your abilities then you will pull through no matter how stacked that odds are against you. A person who puts their mind toward a goal has no time to doubt themselves. You must cast aside the _'what ifs' _and look toward _what will be_." She placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping it firmly. "I'm confident in my ability to read people, Negi. I wouldn't give you this chance to show me your skills if I had a feeling that you would only make a fool of yourself. There's nothing to gain from it."

"...Alright." Negi nodded, feeling his resolve return to him.

"Now cook me a masterpiece." Xue said with a smirk. "A new dish might be what I need to bring in more customers, so the more you make, the more I make! Get it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Loosen up." Xue offered him a thumbs up. "It's not like you'll be doing this alone. I'll be here to assist you on your first time...and don't address me that way. Xue is fine."

"Um...right, Xue."

"So," She stared at him with a glimmer of expectation, "What will we be cooking?"

"A soup." Negi answered her, inwardly hoping that she would not be disappointed by his choice, but-

"I like your judgment ." The Chinese chef said appreciatively. "Starting from the basics I see. Now then," She opened one of the compartments beneath the cooking table and pulled out a wok. After setting it down on the stove she unhooked a cutting board from the side of one of the supply cabinets that hung behind her. "Len!" She called out.

A tall girl in a white uniform rushed to her side from the other side of the kitchen with a quick but clear, "Yes, miss Xue?" She had black, braided hair wrapped around in a bun and gray eyes.

"You'll be assisting us."

"Of course." Len answered with a quick nod. She appeared to be quite nervous around Xue, not that Negi could blame her. The woman was about as predictable as a rogue lioness surrounded by lemmings...yeah. "How may I be of-" She realized that Negi was standing beside Xue- "-Negi..." She ended her sentence awkwardly, cheeks flushed.

Negi stared back at the mesmerized young woman nervously, "Erm...Hi?"

"Never mind, Len." Xue shooed the girl away. "Mina!" At her call a short-haired blonde with freckles took Len's place at her side. She looked calm enough until, "...N-Negi?" She made eye contact with the young vampire. Needless to say Xue was not pleased with this unexpected development. Apparently having this young man around was going to cause problems with the level of performance.

"Never mind, Mina. Leave us alone." She turned around and glared at Negi, "You're killing the morale of my girls, you know that?"

Negi stared back at her innocently, tapping the kill switch around his neck. "There's a way you can fix that." A smile crept on his lips.

"At this point losing you would hurt me more than a little drop in performance." Xue rejected the proposal, dropping his smile into a frown. "I've come further in my research with you by my side, more so than I have in the past few months with all the harassment I've received from the council."

"Xue...why does your research matter to you so much anyway?"

"What do you mean?" She directed a wry smile at him that sent chills down his spine. "Why do you question it?"

"You've made so many enemies because of your research." The young magister frowned, truly disturbed by her recklessness. "Why continue with it if it'll get you hurt?"

"It's exciting isn't it?"

"What?" Negi blinked at her reply. "Th-That doesn't make any sense at all! You'd risk your life just for some excitement? That's-"

"Stupid?" Xue finished his sentence for him. "Why? Because it doesn't make sense to you, or because you're under the assumption that someone will miss me when I die?" When Negi could not provide her with an answer she frowned at him, "I'm not bound by anything like that, and I know true freedom because of it. Rather than live my life worrying about the fate in store for me I want to keep moving forward against it."

"And what about your girls...your friends?"

"The girls will eventually mature one day and follow their own dreams and ambitions. Friends are no different, Negi." She smirked bitterly as if recalling a buried memory. "It's the way we're made. From the day we're born things are expected of us. We're told to shine brightly, to charge blindly to our goals so that we're remembered for ages to come, but that isn't easily attained. There will always be obstacles to overcome and temptations to hold us down with promises of comfort. I don't intend to let that happen to me. I will burn brightly and if the day comes that someone tries to put me out, I welcome it." She winked at him. "After all, is a star not most brilliant just as it threatens to expire?"

"...I see." Negi bowed his head dimly.

"How fascinating." Xue exclaimed softly, placing a hand to her lips. "I don't think I've ever spoken about myself to another person before..."

"Xue?" Negi felt concern when the scientist became distant. "Are you alright?"

"Len!" His voice didn't seem to reach her as she called out to the assistant chef from before. When the tall girl strode to them, she ordered, "Assist Negi with his cooking. I'll be in my office so contact me when you two are done."

"Wait-Xue!" Negi called out to her, but she was already hallways across the kitchen by the time her name left his mouth at which point he was left there with the assistant chef staring at him. _What was that about? That was weird even for her..._

"...Negi..." Len said his name bashfully.

He stared back at her, unsure of why she kept doing that. "You keep saying that, Len..."

_**...[B}_{Y}_{E]...**_

Negi stood at the row of payphones at the edge of the town, looking over his shoulder to glance at Snowball who had been sent with him by Xue to monitor him while he made his phone call. Despite the fact that he had an armed kill switch around his neck that was likely programmed to self destruct after reaching a certain distance away from her, Xue still did not seem to trust him as far as trying anything clever was concerned. The young magister slipped in some quarters into the payphone and picked up the receiver to dial the number.

There was the dial tone- _"Negi?"_ Came Evangeline's familiar voice, hinting a bit at relief. _"It's about time that you called, twit."_

"Good evening, mas-er, I mean, Eva-chan." Negi caught himself slipping back into his old ways again. It had been a while since he last spoke with her. "I hope things are going well for you guys down there."

_"God you're stupid."_ The vampiress growled. _"Only you would say something like that."_

Negi furrowed his brow, leaning on the side of the booth. "What do you mean? The girls haven't be doing anything weird, have they?" Of course, even a voice in the back of his head told him for sure that the girls weren't just sitting around idly waiting for him to return to them.

_"They're running Takamichi ragged with all of the escapes they've been plotting since you left. The campus hasn't been this lively since the festival."_

"Are you serious?" The young magister groaned. "I was hoping that Sets-"

_"Make no mistake, boya. Your samurai girl has been trying her hardest to keep things under control,"_ Evangeline cut him off before he could voice his doubts, _"Still, you could have thought this over a little more carefully. Twenty-eight girls are hard for one person to deal with, don't you think?"_

Negi inwardly kicked himself for not thinking that through. He dumped a hard burden on Setsuna and he didn't even stop to think about how hard it would affect her. At the time he was so focused on leaving without a trace that he didn't take her feelings into consideration. "Damn..." _Set-chan...I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when I return...I promise..._

_"Wow, what a reaction."_ The vampiress sounded amused over the phone. _"A few months back you probably would have been an apologetic mess after hearing that, but I see that the world is changing you. I should have expected as much."_

"Have you been going to class, Eva?" Negi asked her in an attempt to move away from the subject.

Evangeline seemed to hesitate on the other side, suspiciously enough, _"Well, duh. I have nothing else to do around this campus."_ She lied. _"Takamichi is a bore just as before though. It was far more entertaining when you were around to tease."_

"I'm relieved to hear that."

_"You sound like you have a lot on your plate."_

"I've been running into trouble like you wouldn't believe." Negi sighed. "It feels like the world is gradually beginning to focus all of its madness on me."

_"I could imagine. You've always been a magnet for trouble for one reason or another." _She paused purposefully, _"You know, Tatsumiya paid me a visit this morning."_

The young magister tensed at the mention of the lovely marksman, "D-Did she?"

_"Yes, she did."_ Evangeline replied, the smirk on her lips quite apparent by the tone of her voice. _"I understand that there was something of a deep connection between you two before you left Mahora . Apparently she has been keeping tabs on your progress since you left."_

"She's following me?"

_"Not exactly. The girl has an intelligence network running information to her all the time. Its one of the resources that she happens to make use of in her profession, which I hear you know a great deal about since you've partnered up with her on occasion."_ She heard him choke on his spit through the phone. _"Anyway, a blip hit the radar about a week ago when a person of your description made contact with a group affiliated with the holy order of the church, a team of vampire hunters. Tatsumiya got into contact with those hunters some time ago."_

"For what?"

_"To find out why you suddenly disappeared. From the details of the information that she got out of them I could only assume that you had another run in with Lucinda."_ When she heard Negi gasp softly she let out an irritated hiss, _"That sounds about right. Interestingly enough you chose not to include that information the last time we talked."_

"I didn't think it was important so...it slipped my mind." Negi lied.

_"Don't try that game with me, Negi. I swear, if you were in arms reach right now I'd probably be tempted to slap you for that."_ The diminutive vampiress hissed. _"Someone must have intervened for you to escape her clutches for a second time. My question is 'who' and 'why'?"_

"Look, it wasn't my fault this time, okay?" He said calmly, though there was a hint of fear hidden deep within his voice. You had to be Evangeline McDowell in order to detect it though. She understood all of the inflections in the young magister's voice that related to fear. It was one of the many personal pleasures that she enjoyed when it came to the hapless youth.

In this case, however, _"I don't like what I'm hearing already."_

"Lucinda was carrying me through the forest and we happened to run into a woman named Reina Tepes...somehow. I think they kind of knew each other..." Negi paused for a response from his master, but the other side of the phone went completely silent save for the slightly heightened sound of her breathing. This was not going to end well, he could tell already. "Um, Eva-"

_"Mission abort, Negi. Stop whatever the hell you're doing and return home."_

"But-"

_"I think being away this long must have made you forgetful, boya, because I refuse to believe that you're openly disobeying me. You are my fledgling so when I order you to do something-you do it!"_

"Give me some more time. You promised me until December, remember?"

_"I promised you nothing! Get your ass down here by tomorrow if you're capable!"_

Negi took a deep breath, "N-No."

_"...I'm sorry, you're mistaken."_ Evangeline's voice was menacing. _"You do not have a choice in the matter. Now-"_

"No, Evangeline." Negi refused her again, stunning her for a moment. "I've gotten in this deep already. Pulling out now would make everything I've experienced at this point meaningless, and I don't want to risk losing a good lead. It's too late to turn back now."

"I'll come after you, Negi."

"If the headmaster allows it." He retorted boldly. "Even then you wouldn't be able to find me easily." His bold streak came to an abrupt end when the Undying Wizard broke out into laughter over the phone unexpectedly. It was unnerving enough to make him shiver violently for a few seconds.

"Are you an imbecile?" The dark mistress cackled with a frightening air of superiority. "I chased your father across both the worlds of magic and mundane without rest and he could not hope to escape me. What would ever make you think that you could do better than he did?

"Eva-"

"You're mine, Negi." She declared fiercely, intending to hang up the phone, but-

"I always have been." Negi blindsided her on the spot, leaving her to stammer a bit as she attempted to regather her wits. The young magister wisely chose that moment to hang up. He turned around when he did to inform Snowball that he was done and they both returned to Xue's house together.

….

….

Xue appeared to be a natural insomniac, something that Negi observed in his short time as her captive. When he entered the house with Snowball around a quarter to twelve in the evening the light to the kitchen was still on with the faint sound of the lovely scientist mumbling to herself.

"I'm going to sleep..." Snowball mumbled with a long stretch of her arms. She patted Negi on the shoulder with a yawn and walked past the kitchen doorway, ascending the stairway to reach her room on the second floor. Negi followed her example and walked to the stairs, eager to see his familiar again after a long hard day, but as soon as he was caught in the light pouring out from the kitchen doorway Xue called his name, stopping him in his hopeful reunion.

"Where are you going, Negi?" She asked him brightly from her seat at the kitchen table. She had a pen in her hand and the usual lab journal sitting in front of her, scarred with the scribbles of her genius. She kept that book with her everywhere she went.

Negi blinked a her a few times before he answered, "To sleep..." He stared at her much like a canary would a cat eying from a distance. A feeling was telling him that Xue had some midnight activities planned for them, something that he was honestly not looking forward to. He wanted very badly to see Chachazero, he just returned from a fight with his master, and his body honestly just couldn't take the exertion at this point. The woman was very aggressive and one more session would probably kill him if she decided to be rough with him. Those lab tests were draining.

"Why don't you spend the night with me?" She stood from her seat and gestured to the table. "It would give us time to bond."

For some reason Negi had to fight away the image of himself crying on the kitchen floor in his boxers with his shirt clutched around his shoulders and a very satisfied Xue standing behind him licking her fingers. Oh, that just sounded very wrong. "I-I...really would like to go to sleep." Negi squeaked, shivers running down his spine from the way the scientist leered at him."W-Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, don't be such a wuss." Xue walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "A guy normally accepts an offer like this from a woman."

"The circumstances between us are hardly normal." Negi shot back, his legs getting stiffer beneath him with every step he took into the kitchen.

"Are you still on that?" She sighed, shaking her head. "I thought that you'd think of me as more of a friend by now."

"I thought that was just a title between us." Negi said woefully, put off by her nonchalant attitude.

"Yeah, well I think we're past that point. I like you."

Negi blushed. "You...do?"

"Of course." Xue said with a _'wasn't-it-obvious'_ sort of look. "You're a likable guy. You're pretty cooperative when it counts, too, so that's a plus. I don't think I ever want to let you go-" She saw the look of displeasure that flashed across Negi's face and grinned, "-But a good thing never remains the same when you hold onto it by force...So..." She reached under her sleeve and tapped a button. The kill switch around the young vampire's neck blinked green a few times and unclasped itself from around his neck, falling to the floor with a clatter.

"You're...letting me go?" Negi blinked.

"Noooot exactly." Xue told him with a grin. "I'd like for you to stay around for another day at least. I want to finish our testing with the Cassiopeia Zero before you leave, so if you disappear in the middle of the night I don't think I could find it in myself to forgive you."

"...Ugh..." Negi felt himself deflate after staring at the expression on her face. "...Really?"

"Yeah." She averted her eyes almost timidly before she asked, "Will you?"

Negi felt his chest tighten as he tried to refuse her. He just couldn't find it in himself to leave her on such an incomplete note. Sure, if he left now he could avoid the possibility of running into anymore trouble with her, but something inside of him was telling him to stay. His instincts were telling him that his business with her was far from done. _Chao-san told me that my relationship with Xue would be an important point in ensuring the wellness of her future, but...so far nothing has really happened. __Could one more day make the difference that I'm searching for?_ "...Okay." Negi crossed his arms in resignation. "One more day."

"Ha, I knew you wouldn't refuse!" She exclaimed with a few light pats on his shoulder. "You're too nice for your own good!"

Negi's left eye twitched. "...I think I'm having second thoughts..." He grumbled to himself.

"So since we only have one more day together, let's make the most of tonight." She reached beneath her sleeve and pulled out a black apron causing the young man to blink in amazement.

"H-How do you keep all of those things under your sleeve?" Negi inquired, still stunned by the magic trick.

"Ah, I see even mages are amazed by magic tricks." The Chinese woman winked, "Sorry, but a magician never reveals her secrets. Now, put this on."

"We're cooking?"

"Of course we are." Xue answered him as though it was obvious from the very beginning that it was her reason for inviting him into the kitchen. "That noodle soup you cooked this afternoon was a real hit with the customers. I'm thinking of making it a permanent addition to the menu. What do you think?"

"S-sure." Negi nodded, flattered by the proposition. He unfolded the apron and grabbed the neck strap in both hands to drape it over his chest, but-"H-Hey...this isn't another one of your traps...is it?"

"Don't you trust me?" She asked innocently.

"Not really." Negi replied without hesitation.

"Look, it's not another trap, alright?" She assured him, placing her hands on her hips with narrowed eyes as though she took his answer as an insult. "Now put it on already."

Negi studied her expression carefully before he considered it. "...Okay." He submitted, tying the apron around his waist. "So what are we doing?"

"I want you to share your techniques with me!" She was direct about her true intentions from the very start. "In return I'll share a few cooking secrets with you, deal?"

Negi smiled, surprised by how friendly she had become. "Um, okay. Why not?"

"Then let's make this a productive night, shall we?" Xue smirked, "Hope you can keep up. I'm very passionate about my cooking."

Negi returned the favor, "I'll try my best."

* * *

**[F] {V} [A]**

* * *

Chachazero stared up at her master's sleepy face with her arms crossed with a vengeance. She had been waiting patiently for her master to return all night and the selfish guy had been a complete no-show. By the time he came back upstairs she had been inactive, having long given up on his arrival. It was nearly dawn by the time she realized that Negi Springfield had her in his warm embrace, which she so secretly relished. "So...you spent all of last night in the kitchen with that snake, cooking with her. That's why you were late coming in?"

Negi blinked at her with bleary eyes, doing his best to suppress a yawn, "Yep..." He ran a hand through his bed hair, glancing at the window to see the sun beginning its rise in the horizon. It wouldn't be long before Xue walked in and dragged him out of bed like she usually did early in the morning.

"Oh, hey." The puppet called his attention when she caught him the process of nodding off. "I noticed that the collar is off." She pointed to his neck. "You do that yourself?" She asked casually.

"Hmm?" The vampire opened his eyes halfway and stared for a good while. "...The collar." He said absently in a manner that felt somewhat incomplete. Chachazero stared at him expectantly for him to continue, but apparently that was where the sentence ended.

If her face was capable she probably would have quirked a brow, "Master Ne-"

"Xue took it off..." The half awake magister answered her unexpectedly in the middle of her sentence. The puppet paused after he was finished talking just to make sure he was done.

"Oh..." She nodded slowly. "It makes sense." She seemed rather pleased with this development until-"So what the hell are we still doing here? Let's get going already!"

"I can't..." Negi shook his head, stretching his arms over his head.

"What do you mean _'you can't'_?" Chachazero flailed her tiny arms. "We're good to go now, aren't we?"

"She asked me to stay for one more day."

"And you said yes after she had you here against your will for close to a week? Where's the sense in that, Master Negi?" She rested her forehead in her hand. "You're too nice, you know that?"

"...I know, but I feel like I need to be here today."

"Your instincts usually suck, though."

Negi hung his head at her response, "Are you with me or against me, Zero-chan?"

_I'd like to be against you if you don't mind. _The puppet thought suggestively, but she wasn't in the mood to tease her master at the moment. "Alright..." She crossed her arms with her eyes closed, turning her head away from him. "...I guess one more day here wouldn't kill us." She felt her master's hand rest upon her head gently and almost purred when he stroked her.

"Thanks." He told her warmly.

"W-whatever. Compared to the crap we usually get dragged into, this really isn't that bad."

_***Knock*Knock***_

_"Hmm?"_ Negi and Chachazero turned their attention to the door when the morning call came a bit early, two hours early in fact.

"Wake up, Negi!" Xue's voice rang from the other side brightly. "It's time to set up at the restaurant!" Her voice sang melodically.

"H-Huh?" A horrified expression filled the young man's blank features. She wasn't serious about this was she? They had just finished their little cook off in the kitchen about four hours ago!

The door swung open and Xue entered with a, "Come on, Ne-" She stopped short when she caught him staring at her. "Oh, you're awake already." She remarked without missing a beat. "I'm proud of you!"

Negi feeling far too uncooperative to appreciate her praise, "Wait...aren't you a little early today?" He asked with bloodshot eyes, wanting very much to snuggle back into his pillow and sleep it off for another two hours at least. "I have almost two hours left before I start."

Xue held up a hand before he could argue with her any further and wagged her finger at him with a sly smile, "That would be the case if you were working for me as a waiter, but as of yesterday you had become one of my chefs. Now let's get going, Negi." She clapped her hands two times quickly. "Chop, chop!" And with that she took her leave of him. Negi could only stare at the door blankly...

"You know, Zero-chan, I just realized something."

"That she's a bitch?" Chachazero offered, but her answer was met with a shake of the head.

"No...I'm working for free."

...

...

Xue sat at her office desk with a pen in hand and the usual lab journal sitting in front of her, but for some reason she found herself unable to write. Her mind was in more than a few places at once and it was preventing her from grasping any solid thoughts. "It's pissing me off!" Xue flicked her pen across the room and clutched her head before throwing it back and crying out frustratedly. "This is so irritating! Why can't I get any work done today?"

_You know, you could set work aside today and make the most of it giving your friend a proper farewell..._

"Oh dear, its my conscience..." The scientist muttered to no one in particular. "Fuck you. Go away."

_It would be more productive than sitting at a desk doing nothing all day..._

"No, no, no, no." She shook her head quickly. "I can't waste my time on trivial things like that. I need to run a final test on Negi to confirm whether I've made a breakthrough or not. A magister's body is capable of limiting the amount of mana consumption within every spell they cast, because of this they are able to make use of the mana in the air much more efficiently than mundane spell caster can and can perform feats beyond imagination without exerting themselves to the point of exhaustion, or in the mundane's case, death. The mana absorption module that I installed within the Cassiopeia Zero _i_s tweaked so horribly that it hurts me to know that I designed it. Every time jump that I've attempted in the past has failed because of the immoderate amount of mana it requires simply to begin a proper initiatory sequence_, _but with the physical data I've collected from Negi I'm so close to a breakthrough that I can hardly stay asleep at night. Soon time will be nothing more than a plaything at my fingertips!"

_You're talking to yourself again._

"Shut up." Xue hissed just before the door to her office opened to reveal her ever trusty partner, Snowball. "Ahem-" Xue straightened out her posture, "-Yes? What is it?"

"You have a visitor..." The girl looked over her shoulder. "He's...um...standing outside."

"It's kind of early, isn't it?" Xue whispered to the girl, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What does he want?"

"I don't know." Snowball shook her head with a whisper. "But he's kind of strange."

"Strange?" The scientist rolled her eyes. She had been getting a lot of those coming by lately. "Alright...Let him in." The girl offered her boss a slight nod of her head and walked outside to gesture at a person that was out of view. A moment later a tall, light skinned man entered the office dressed in rather expensive looking threads. He wore a white dress shirt and black neck tie under a black buttoned up vest, accompanied by black slacks and polished, dress shoes. His hair was cut short in unruly spikes that drooped and curved, and he had a short goatee that curved slightly upward from his chin. Rectangular shades concealed his eyes from her own so it was hard for her to judge his character clearly, but one thing was for sure from the very moment he walked in: this man could change lives. What manner he went about that was unclear, but Xue could tell that she would not like it regardless of what manner it was.

"Good morning." He greeted her with a casual wave.

Xue smirked, "Allow me a guess." She told him, skipping the formalities.

He raised both of his eyebrows, taking a seat in one of the chairs set in front of her desk. "Go on ahead."

"Sheik Muhammad." She said, getting a surprised chuckle from the man as he reached for his shades and pulled them away from his face, revealing two softly burning, crimson orbs that made the scientist gasp softly. They didn't appear human at all.

"How did you know?" He asked, genuinely curious. "I don't believe we've ever met face to face, have we?"

Xue recomposed herself quickly, "I told you, it was a guess."

"And a pretty good one." Sheik grumbled, sounding a little disappointed. He sat back in the seat and crossed a leg over the other with his hands folded on his lap. "That really killed the suspense I was trying to build."

Xue settled back in her chair, "Sorry, I never did like suspense. I like to get my answers as quickly as possible."

"I can sympathize." The man nodded. "Life is too short to spend waiting for things to come to you. I always found it preferable to reach out and attain things with my own hand rather than have them given to me by others."

She grinned at him, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

He grinned back, "I think you know."

"Then I'm honored, sir." The scientist laughed. "And here I thought you weren't enough of a man to come claim the woman yourself. I was wrong about a few things, actually. I originally imagined you to be an ugly man."

"Well then," He smiled charmingly, "I'm glad I disproved those suspicions. To be honest I didn't think much of you either. I expected to be met with a small, mousy woman with large glasses, but look at you...Perhaps my mistake was in sending men after you."

"Oh, I can handle women just as well." Her reply made the inquisitor laugh.

"What a terrifying woman you are, Xue." Sheik joked before getting serious. "Unfortunately, the woman who sent me here to see you is far more terrifying. She is the person who is interested in your work, not me."

Xue frowned, "Why wasn't she the one to pay me a visit then?"

"Because she can't." Sheik replied simply. "Technically we shouldn't even be meeting. If Kell knew about this, La'felle would be walking on egg shells for the rest of her life, which is why a nobody like me is needed."

"A nobody?" Xue raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long story." He explained. "Heroism comes with a price sometimes. The choices I've made has marked me as a misunderstood man."

"Sorry to hear that."

"No need." He assured her. "Sometimes circumstances cannot be understood fully with words alone. Getting away from that, I hold a large amount of respect for you. Not many sane individuals would stand up to the council as long as you have."

"I have my reasons, none of which I'm willing to share."

"I understand...which is why this next part will undoubtedly be unpleasant for the both of us." Sheik uncrossed his legs and leaned forward in his seat so that he was looking directly into Xue's eyes. "Astameer La'felle would once again like to extend her hand to you in friendship. In spite of the rocky relations that we've had so far, we would like to accept you as one of us."

"Taking everything I've researched and developed as a sweetener to the deal, I'm assuming."

"Naturally." The mage replied without hiding his intentions.

"You know my answer already." Xue replied, her eyes narrowed and sharpened with harsh feelings held behind them. "I've seen how you mages have approached my family throughout history. What you have in mind has never been in the better interest of the _so called_ mundanes. You all look down on us, watching, waiting for another flower to bloom so that you can pick it and drain it of everything you desire before tossing it away when it becomes needless to your goals. Why don't you all do what it is you've done so well and just ignore us?"

Sheik frowned, "So you refuse us again?"

"I thought I made that perfectly clear."

"...Understand this, Xue. Your life is of no value to the council if you're against it." He kept his eyes leveled with hers when he spoke, calm and neutrally as though he read it from a line in a book. She understood what was coming next, and he had known from the very beginning before he met with her that she was going to refuse Astameer's offer of partnership. It was one of the reasons that he respected her so much, and the same reason that he didn't want to carry out this mission when it was assigned to him. This was his specialty after all, the dirty work of the council, and his record of work was marked without a trace of failure.

They both faced each other in silence-and then it happened. Xue's hand shot forward from behind the desk to thrust the muzzle of a gun in the man's face, but his right hand was there gripping her wrist before she could pull the trigger and put an abrupt end to their meeting. She clenched her teeth when his hand closed painfully around her weak joint, coming close to snapping it with his monstrous strength.

Sheik's expression hinted at disappointment on her part, "A little faster and you might have succeeded."

Xue grinned at her assailant bitterly. _Life is a trip...didn't think it was going to end like this though..._

The door to the office was kicked open and- "Xue!" Negi called out her name, clearly aware of the nature of her current predicament. She could only assume that Snowball had been listening in from the other side of the door and decided to call on him when she realized that things were going for the worst. Sheik's attention was divided the moment the young magister interrupted, giving Xue enough time to pull the trigger, letting the gun crack right beside his ear. The inquisitor reflexively pulled back when it went off and Xue kicked the desk forward on to his lap, jumping atop of it while he was caught off guard and kicking past him to sprint to the other side of the room where Negi was still trying to make sense of the situation.

"Xue-"

"Keep him busy for me, Negi!" Xue ran past him in a blur before he could voice his distress.

"What's-" Negi whipped around to find that she had completely left him in the office with the man she had been trying to shoot a mere moment ago. "-Going on?" He turned his attention back to Shiek just as the man kicked Xue's desk against the wall and asked, "Who are you?"

The man brushed himself off and pulled his shades out of his front pocket, slipping them on before adjusting them up the bridge of his nose. "Sheik Muhammad," He answered the vampire, turning around to face him, "Archon of the Inquisition and an agent of the council. And who are you? I don't remember reading about you in the reports."

"My name is Negi Springfield." Negi assumed a fighting stance, feeling less than calm around this man. "So you're Sheik. What's your business with Xue?"

"I came here to offer her a proposition." Sheik answered him, his body language relaxed in spite of the situation. "She refused so things got complicated."

Negi furrowed his brows. "Are you here...to hurt her then?"

"Kill her is more like it." The inquisitor corrected him nonchalantly. "Not that it's any of your business, kid. Stay out of my way before I'm forced to do something that I'll surely regret."

"I can't let you do what it is you came for." Negi's muscles tensed almost visibly beneath his chef uniform. "Please leave."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sheik questioned him, raising an eyebrow curiously. "...Really...who are you? You look so much like him that its creeping me out." His words caught Negi's attention immediately, bringing him out of his stance.

"W-Wait. You know Nagi Springfield?" Negi's eyes went wide with surprise.

"And who are you to the _'Thousand Master'?_"

"I'm his son!" Negi answered him, placing a hand on his chest. "Do you know where he is? He's alive isn't he?" The response that he received was much less than he expected. The inquisitor frowned and raked a hand through his dark hair with clear unease marking his handsome features. It appeared that he didn't know the answer to that question.

"...Geez, you're putting me on the spot here." Sheik grumbled, dropping his hand from the back of his neck. "Look, kid, get out of my way. I really mean it this time." A friendly smile popped up on his face when a seemingly brilliant idea came to mind, "Hey, I'll tell you what. Come with me after I'm done with my assignment and I'll see what I can do for you. I'm sure Theresa would know more about him than I do. She's a bit of a fanatic of the guy."

Negi sighed. "I told you...I can't let you do that. Not only is it wrong to kill a person, but she's an important friend of mine. I can't just stand aside and let you do what you want!" He resumed his stance, not intending to back down. "You'll have to go through me first." His chef hat twitched upon uttering those fighting words and Chachazero popped her head out from underneath it with a cackle, "Alright! Showtime!"

"Damn..." Sheik sighed. "You're really serious about this. Well, I hope, for your own sake, that you have a purpose held behind those fist of yours, young man," He assumed his own fighting stance, "Because if all you hold still to is your damn impulsiveness-" He rushed forward without warning. "-You'll live a short life!"

As soon as Negi was in reach Sheik whipped around with a kick, missing the top of his forehead just as he pulled his upper body back to dodge. The young magi dropped down in a whipping motion and tried to sweep the inquisitors legs out from beneath him before he could regain his footing, but he jumped over it and kicked back to put some distance between them. They both switched stances and charged at each other again, Sheik initiating the first strike again, thrusting a fist forward at Negi's face. The vampire moved his right hand to guide the first away, whipping around with spinning back hand to the side of the other man's face. Sheik blocked with his left forearm, sweeping Negi's legs from beneath him while he was distracted, but the young man bent his upper body back to break his fall with his hands and twisted his hips to whip his leg into Shiek's stomach, forcing the man to stagger back from the impact.

"Hungh." Negi got back to his feet and kicked forward with a straight forward jab to meet the man before he regained his center, but he knocked his arm to the side with one hand and shot his leg forward to kick him in the stomach. With the air winded from him Negi staggered back, struck with a momentary dizziness, giving Sheik the opportunity to follow forward while he was stunned. He brought up his left knee, stopping just short when Negi moved to defend against it and kicked him in his wide open rib with his right foot, sending him crashing against the wall. Negi went on the defensive as soon as his back was to the wall, crossing his arms in front of his face to block the first kick and bending to the side to avoid Sheik's leg as it shot toward him.

"Ergh?" The inquisitor grunted when his foot when straight through the wall, lodged by it in the process. The young magister acted immediately, uppercutting him in his right rib and whipping around with a leg sweep to bring him down to the floor while his leg was still stuck in the wall. Negi stood over him and proceeded to rain punches upon him in a flurry while Sheik defended as best as he could, sweeping his hands right and left to smack his fists away before they could meet his chest and face. "Aha!" He grinned triumphantly when he leg got loose and kicked the unsuspecting magister in the back, sending him stumbling forward while he hopped back to his feet.

"Hyaa!" Sheik whipped around with another roundhouse while Negi attempted to whip around to face him and struck the vampire across the side of his head. Negi stumbled to the side, losing his balance from the force of the kick while he held the side of his head with one hand, but he reacted quickly when Sheik tried to follow up with a leg sweep from behind, jumping over the sweeping leg and whipping around in mid-air to kick him across the face as he rose back up. Sheik was sent stumbling backwards long enough for Negi to charge forward, wrapping his arms around the inquisitor's mid-section and crashing his body into the wall. The plaster gave way as soon as Sheik's body hit the wall, sending the both of them running into the dining hall where all of the table and chairs were set up.

"Graa!" Negi lifted Sheik in mid-run and slammed him down through one of the tables splitting it in half with the tall man's body, but before he fell on his back the inquisitor reached out to grab Negi by his shirt and brought him down on both of his legs before using the momentum of their earlier run to kick the young magister across the room with is legs. Negi crashed through one of the supporting pillars and broke through one of the windows, skidding through the lawn outside, finally stopping when he hit a light pole.

"...Uuuugh..." Negi rolled over on to his back, holding his ribs. "I'm going to feel this later...I just know it..." He lulled his head to the side as his vision gradually came back into focus to see Sheik exiting the restaurant with a slight limp.

"Nagi's son, huh?" The inquisitor remarked, taking off his cracked shades and dropping them to the ground. "Geez...you weren't lying about that."

"Master Negi! Get up!" Chachazero patted her master's cheek. "C'mon! This doesn't look good!" Relief came over her when Negi groaned, pushing his palms against the concrete of the sidewalk to slowly get onto his knees. "That's right!"

"You can sure take a beating." Sheik grinned, impressed by the boy's resilience. "Let's see how well you can stand up against this." He held out a hand and closed one eye, starting his chant. _"EGO dico super telum of hades ut pierce orbis terrarum per suus unholy vires."_ The inquisitor jabbed his closed fist in Negi's direction and barked, _"NISI!"_ The earth beneath the young magister shrieked as it cracked open and it burned with a fearsome crimson glow as it came close to erupting, but...

"H-Huh?" Negi opened his eyes to find that nothing happened.

Sheik blinked. "The hell?" He looked at his hand to make sure that it was still attached to his right arm when-

**_WHAM!_**

The inquisitor was sent flying a few feet, crashing into a nearby light pole just as Negi had a moment ago. In his place stood Xue, dressed in a black combat suit similar to the one Chao Lingshen had worn so long ago on the zeppelin when they made their final stand against Dorothy Summers. It was almost nostalgic for the young man to see her standing there, gloves crackling with fearsome energy as she smiled at him brilliantly. He could only find himself smiling back at her as the shivers tingled his spine.

_"Did I keep you waiting?"_

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Hi guys! Yeah, I know, its been a while (Like three months, I think) but things have been a little unsteady the past two months so I haven't had the time to really put my ideas on paper, and then there are the other fics that I wanted to update, so I wanted to try and write for all of them at the same time so I could go on and do a mass update...didn't work out. Well, at least I managed to get this chapter off the ground! Anyway, getting away from the woes of the modern day university student, Negi and Xue face off against Sheik Muhammad in a battle for survival and think twice if you think that its close to over. If you guys remember the last chapter then you probably know what's coming. If not...you'll probably just kind of stare at the screen and have a private WTF moment. Anything works for me.  
_

_As soon as we wrap up this predictable tragedy we'll move on to a darker chapter in the series. Yep, that's right, the "Amazon Arc" where Alice Dalziel makes her appearance, marking her as the fourth mistress that the young Springfield comes across and possibly one of the nicest, if not just a little on the possessive side. If you think Evangeline was pissed at Negi already, well, we're about to open up another can of worms. Man, it hurts to be sexy and underage. Lol...ahem...I think I just vomited in my mouth...sorry..._

_Ah, time for the readerz dedication section!_

_15. The Curious Fan: One of the only people on this site that I know who lives up to their pen name. I think your questions take up forty percent of the Q and A section whenever you pop up._

_16: Benjamin Bradt: Lol, that one time you called me a magnificent bastard I kind of blanked out and wondered if I just did something wrong. Your reviews are always a pleasure to read and your pen name is pretty catchy. I challenge myself to say it fast sometimes...what?_

_17: Firedroplet: A reader with a sharp eye for cameos and thrown in jokes. You caught the Haruhi bit, but did you catch the XXX-Holic cameo?_

_18: Arnoldstrife: Another long time reader. Back when FVA was still picking up steam you were there for the good and the bad and made it awesome._

_19: Slipkn0T: After getting the first PM from you and reading your pen name I already had a feeling we'd get along well. Good luck with your stories, bro, and stay metal!_

_20: Savaris: A cool cat with a cool avatar that looks pretty awesome. I've always been a fan of the Joker character, so it was an instant win in my book. Oh yeah, I read chapter 291 and I loved the Eva x Negi moment. Man, its times like that which make me curse the odds of them actually becoming a canon couple. Eva's been getting a lot of screen time lately, hasn't she? I won't forget that one recent scene where Negi walks in on her playing her retro games on her bean couch. Classic.  
_

_21: Kurakawa Minamo: I think I'm going to start an omake section to clear out all of the WTF moments that Negi and Chachazero have shared in the past. It seems like a pretty popular subject these days. To be honest I'd like to leave it to a vote, though. I think I have too many end chapter sections already..._

* * *

Question Time: For the curious reader...

* * *

**_Q. _**On your Q and A someone said Asuna being Negi's aunt? There's not enough proof in the manga to make that assumption. Sure it's implied that she's of some royal status, but to be directly related to Princess Arika is going off on a limb. In chapter 284 it is said that she was "a being who claimed thousands of lives in the past hundred years", assuming the scans were accurate, how the F is she his aunt?

_**A. **_Dude, I am just as much in the dark about that as you are.

_**Q. **_You know this is a really good story to bad i don't understand half the chapters...Are they flashbacks? Since I don't see anywhere it saids it.

**_A. _**The Holiday Saga chapters are flashbacks to the happier days. The Camilla segment was a flashback to Evangeline's days as a knight, and the bit with Chisame in the last main story chapter was a flashback to the night Negi turned her.

**_Q. _**Will negi meet Seraphina Elman, Morrigan Slade and Lucifera Augustus?

**_A. _**Most definitely. Guess which one of them he beds.

**_Q. _**Takane, Chisame, Yuna, Akira, Makie, Ako and any that I may have missed are all turned. They have displayed vampiric powers and some are aware of this. Does that mean all of them have stopped aging? Do they need blood? If these aren't applicable to some of them, why? And if these are applicable, how are they dealing with it? Just curious.

**_A. _**Yuna, Akira, Makie, and Ako are exceptional cases since their vampirism was not completed by Evangeline. Takane and Chisame on the other hand are true fledglings of Negi Springfield. Negi provided Chisame with blood when he was at Mahora (via blood packs), and Takane uses Mei as her crutch.

_**Q. **_Anywaaaay, how the hell do you manage to write such long things? I always wonder about that...

**_A. _**Coffee and an annoyed girlfriend. It's not easy... especially the second one...who I love if you're reading this right now...

**_Q. _**Lycans. Negi hasn't met any so far, and you say that they have a significant role in By Your Enrapture So when will they appear?

**_A. _**Act II, after the Winter Festival Arc.

_**Q. **_Will Kotaro's Lycanthropy ability appear in the near future?

**_A. _**Yep.

**_Q. _**When is that story "Did Negi Springfield dump Lucinda Mcvicar after having a 1 night stand come out and be read by people?

**_A. _**It's in the process of being published within the next DW Quarterly.

**_Q. _**Does Negi make a pactio with Lucinda or any other Dark Mistress?

_**A. **_I kind of remember answering this question before...anyway, it might happen.

**_Q. _**How important is Cassiopeia Zero in this story?

**_A. _**It depends on which character you're rooting for.

Q. Are you finally stopping the weird way you jump from timeline to timeline? I mean that for a long time you went off on weird tangents that damaged the pacing of your fic to hell. Are you now sticking to a plotline and getting this rolling?

**_A. _**Hmm...I'm still thinking that over.

Q. Are you sure about that lack of lemons? Even implied?

**_A. _**Sure, implied.

Q. When are the good battles coming back? I loved those chapter length Chao/Dorothy fights in the original.

**_A. _**Soon.


	19. The Coming of the Beast

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters..._

**_Fang Vice Addiction: "By Your Enrapture"_**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Onset of Twilight_**

_By Traingham_

_(**A.N: **I told you I'd update this year!)_

* * *

The crisp snap that sent Negi Springfield into a cold sweat was, to his slowly escalating desperation, not his spine finally giving in under the surprising weight of the lovely gynoid sitting cross legged on his back as he pumped off push ups in steady succession, but rather an auditory reminder to him that his master, Evangeline McDowell, was going to make his morning miserable if he didn't meet her expectations in his daily warm ups. Of course, had he been a lesser being, his master's idea of warm up exercises would have been classified as an act of suicide in the book of the mundane; a slow and painful suicide that would open one's eyes to the finer points that life had to offer. Luckily for him that was not the case so it was just shy of torture.

"You're kidding me." The chibi-vampire said disapprovingly after swallowing the portion of sweet meat that she bit off from the shiny red apple in her left hand. Most of the red fruit was intact for now to the young magi's relief, however, momentary that condition would remain. "If you aren't done with all five hundred of those push ups before I'm done with my snack, it's your ass." And, oh, how she never ran out of creative ways to have her disciple cower at the utterance of such dreadful words. What she did in her methods of disciplining him for his incompetence could only be described as nothing short of art in the world of sadomasochism.

"Roughly ninety-three more to go, Negi-kun." Chachamaru told him in an attempt to rally him on, finding her current situation not all unpleasant; not unpleasant at all. In fact this entire scenario, her sitting on top of Negi as he brought her in an up and down motion repeatedly, with such vigor–Her current mind set was caught in pure bliss. Evangeline's watchful eye was perhaps the only thing keeping the gynoid from caressing herself from the tingles of ecstasy that were teasing her artificial synapses. "I have faith that you will pull through."

At this point in the exercise Negi wasn't quite capable of voicing his gratitude in her kind words, but his kindly toned grunt of near exhaustion seemed to get his feelings across to his lovely passenger.

"Nothing can keep master Negi down!" This confident claim came from said master's familiar, Chachazero who came within his line of view whenever he lowered himself toward the ground for another push up. The green haired puppet continued in her elaborate blade dance as she added, "Not even Maru's fat butt!" That jab earned her a chill stare from her younger sister that was all too reminiscent of a popular 80s science fiction film, but it did nothing to faze her. In fact, nothing about the fact that Chachamaru was casually using her beloved master Negi as a chair did anything to annoy her. Nope. Nein. Nuh uh.

Evangeline looked to her disciple coolly, bringing her apple to her lips for another bite and chewing slowly. When her jaw stopped moving with a swallow her eyes studied Negi carefully, probing his mental waves for something that she was sure would eventually rear its ugly head. "You brought this upon yourself, boya, so try putting on a brave face for me." She said, drawing the eyes of both Chachas. "I won't have you dropping out in the middle of this when you begged me to push you this hard."

"Gah ..." With a final rise of his body the young magister flopped down onto his stomach, eliciting a soft gasp from the disappointed Chachamaru. Her reaction was akin to that of a little girl that had just been reminded that the ride had a limit. Unfortunately for her a quarter wasn't going to get the young man to take her for another round...unless, of course, Evangeline ordered it, which, with the way her left brow lifted slightly as if unimpressed with the sight of her floored disciple, she may have been coming close to having him do another set of push ups. Chachamaru tried to feel shame in herself for the welling excitement at the the possibility of her doing so.

"Lighten off of him, Chachamaru." Evangeline saved her the trouble, directing her off the recuperating young man with a toss of her chin. The green haired maid nodded, masking her reluctance to relieve herself of her seat. "Get up, boya. You've barely worked a proper sweat." She smirked, an expression so sinister on her lovely face that the apple in her hand almost seemed to shrivel in response. "Lets have you do a few laps around the resort to stimulate your glands."

Negi, to his credit, pushed himself off the ground and did a respectable job of jolting himself up to his feet. "Lets do it then." He declared, hands on his hips to catch his breath for the next grueling activity.

His master couldn't help but crack a smile at his upbeat reply, eerie as it was on her lips given the circumstance. "I'm loving your attitude, boya. Keep this up and you might just convince me that you like it when I'm rough."

A sarcastic quip of "When aren't you?" came from Chachazero's general direction, but the chibi-vampire made no outward note of the puppet's usual insolence.

"Its always a pleasure to train with you, Eva-chan." Negi informed her with a sincere smile in spite of his familiar's general impression of it, one that fell a bit when he reached back to massage his neck. "...Well, not the workout itself, but being with you is." He looked unsure of himself, regarding her timidly. "You know what I mean?"

"Buttering me up won't do you any favors." The platinum vamp spoke low in what could have possibly been discontent. Negi wasn't quite sure why she would have taken his words the wrong way, but...

_I bet you use that same line on your shrine maiden as well, don't you?_ Evangeline didn't want her jealousy to show through whenever she thought about how Mana Tatsumiya was stealing away Negi Springfield's attention from her. The days of when she alone was at the center of his world as his master and idol (_questionable_) were a thing of the past. No longer did her adorable underling cling to her at every given opportunity to bask within the aura of her undeniable awesomeness. Now he was setting aside time for women other than herself, and not just Setsuna or Ku Fei; she hadn't mind his fascination with those two before and it didn't bother her now, but Mana Tatsumiya was a different breed of woman that wasn't very unlike the people she used to associate herself with.

Evangeline didn't care for reminders of those days no matter how many fond memories she had of them, and just the idea of Negi being under the sort of influence that Mana could impress on him bothered her for some reason. Perhaps she was thinking too hard about it. Even now she had to admit that she was beginning to worry too much over the kid's development as an individual more than a dark mage these days. True, her influence alone was probably unhealthy enough for such a naive boy, and one day when she was free from Mahora she would undoubtedly introduce him further into her world, but those would be steps that she could direct him toward herself. Having him go on to have those experiences without her–the mere idea of him traversing the path that all vampires eventually walked without her around to supervise it was a thing of nightmares.

"Maybe he really is making me soft." Evangeline wondered, one arm crossed over her chest while she held her apple in the other hand. She must have lapsed in her thoughts because Negi called her attention cautiously as though speaking to a slumbering giant.

"Um, Eva-chan." He addressed her in a small voice, waving a hand in front of her face just from the right distance so she wouldn't snap at him and sink her teeth into it. She had done so before one time over tea and biscuits when he was trying to get her attention. Did a good job of ruining the mood that time. "Should I start my laps?"

The vampiress blinked away her daze and regarded him as though she had just awoken from a midday nap. "Er, what is it?" Her eyes focused and she stared at him hard. "Hey, don't get comfortable." She pointed to where the waves caressed the sand. "Get started on your laps, boya!"

He jumped at the order and trotted off to where she directed, "Right away!" His master's eyes remained on him until he got down on his stretches at which point she looked away and took another bite of her apple.

"Mistress." As long as they'd been together Evangeline had long anticipated that Chachamaru would have noticed that she was concerned about something so she responded to her maid's call naturally, turning her head halfway to regard the loyal gynoid from the side.

"Yeah?" She queried, keeping her body language in check.

Chachamaru's pokerface belied the concern she felt for her mistress's ill mood. "It isn't like you to lapse so deeply during Negi-kun's morning visits. Does something trouble you, mistress?"

_No point in being mysterious about it._ The vampiress thought, rolling her eyes at how she must have looked stewing over her thoughts. "Negi's sudden enthusiasm bothers me." She explained to Chachamaru, gesturing to her disciple who was just wrapping up on his stretches. "The crow voiced her concern to me about how he's been slowly dedicating more of his time outside of teaching to his training. Apparently he's also been less sociable these days according to the old man's granddaughter."

Had Chachamaru been a more expressive woman she might have appeared touched by her mistress's concern. "You worry that he may be distancing himself?"

Evangeline's immediate response was to snort. "That's not what I'm going for here." She said with a shake of her head. "A month ago the boya could barely mask his dread at our late night Friday sessions, yet now he's begging me to extend our sessions and push him even harder than before. I'm sure you understand what's bothering me."

"His sudden turn about disturbs you." Chachamaru deduced, getting a nod from Evangeline. "Do you suspect something malevolent may be influencing this shift?"

Evangeline didn't respond immediately after being asked that question. She bowed her head, pausing to regard her half eaten apple with a strange sigh. "I have my suspicions, Chachamaru. I do."

The tone of her mistress's voice did little to put her at ease. "How...bad is it?"

"I could be wrong." Evangeline began, raising her head to regard her maid with a wry grin. "Maybe Negi has his own personal reasons for pushing himself so hard. We could probably call it off as nothing more than the boy childishly attempting to expedite his growth as a man through more rigorous training." Her tone was hopeful in those last words as she shrugged, "But calling it off like that would be irresponsible of me as a master, especially when I know it could be something else."

Chachamaru waited for Negi to jog off a fair distance before inquiring. "Something dangerous?"

"His '_Dark Ego'_." Evangeline answered the gynoid, ending her sentence with another crunch of her apple. "That's what the darklings call it these days." She said with a roll of her eyes after swallowing. "Back when it was far more potent among the earlier generations we took to calling it "The Beast". A psychologist might liken it to the ID, and the devoutly religious would compare it to demonic possession which wouldn't be very far off given its origins. It feeds on the host's fears, desires, and their pride." She smiled mysteriously when she said pride. "The Wolves got in right when they called it "The Taint". It takes all the good and twists it until its barely recognizable to the host. In time the person tainted by the beast becomes a being of complete destruction, a thing worthy of the namesake."

"And you believe that Negi-kun has this thing inside of him?" The chibi-vampire vampire detected disgust in the gynoid's voice and it made the smile on her face broaden. "But how could it have gotten a hold of him in all of his time in Mahora? Do you think it was the work of mistress Summers?"

When Evangeline turned to face Chachamaru the gynoid had to step back. The vampire had such a terrible look on her face that it gave her pause. "He inherited it from me." Evangeline said bitterly, her voice cracking as her eyes glazed with the tell tale sign of tears forming, but they never came.

"...Mistress?" Chachamaru wasn't sure what else to say with what she was witnessing. The only time she had ever seen Evangeline brought so close to tears was during the Thousand Master's final moments at the Mahora Budokai.

"Negi is a true successor of my bloodline, the one and only person that I've ever truly passed on my vampiric essence to. I didn't realize that until his episode during our match at the tournament." Evangeline crushed what was left of her apple into mush. The thick juices seeped through her fingers, dripping into the sand to be absorbed. "I witnessed the rise of Negi's dark ego personally when I pushed him past his limits. It wasn't for very long, but for a moment the boya had reached deep within himself and taken hold of the darkness so he could conjure the twilight arts."

"Is there no way for you to free him from it?"

"No." She answered the steadily fretting gynoid. "It isn't a sickness that can be cured, and it doesn't have a physical form that I can put down with my own hands..." Evangeline let out a chuckle. "At least not until it takes his body for itself, but I have faith in Negi. What's carried him through up to this point hasn't been his body, but his will. That's the stuff that legends are born from–a _will_." The vampiress held her soaked hand away and set it alight with a fire charm, extinguishing it with a clench of her fist before reaching down to undo the summer shawl wrapped around her waist.

Chachamaru received it from her mistress, folding it over her arm. "Going into the water, mistress?" She asked, watching the blonde walk over toward the tide.

"No." Evangeline stopped where Negi had been stretching earlier, standing rooted there with her arms crossed facing the direction that Negi would eventually come jogging from. It didn't take long for the lovely maid to understand what her mistress was intending to do. "A boy can't hope to grow into a man without the proper discipline." Her expression fell neutral as Negi's jogging form came approaching around the bend in the distance. "–Because the undisciplined become monsters." She closed her eyes. "No sense, no passion, no feeling."

_"_**_Disgusting._**_"_

Evangeline McDowell walked down the quiet streets of Grigostia, doing her best not to draw attention to herself from the few lurkers standing about at corners and the front of closed shops. She should have been at the inn where the rest of her sisterhood was currently stationed for the duration of the evening, but she wasn't at ease this night. She had another one of her episodes, and this time she hadn't even been on the battlegrounds when it happened. The way of it was too unusual for her to remain calm.

"Am I losing my wits?" Evangeline questioned herself, raising a hand to the side of her head to massage her temple. It did little to alleviate the pounding, but it did more than anything else at the moment and she needed comfort if she wanted to think this through rationally. "When has it ever reached out for me? Why in my sleep?"

By _it_ she was referring to the thing deep within her that had been a long time companion since the early days of her turning. It had only ever spoken to her whenever she made contact with it by her choice, and she only did that whenever she was amidst blood shed or committing the act herself, but the line was crossed this evening in many ways. This time it had contacted her of its own volition, exhibiting a higher level of sentience that it never hinted at before and for the first time since she made a pact with the mysterious presence Evangeline had found its company very unwelcome in the grand scheme of her own devising. It was interfering with her life now.

"Seraphina will be after me, no doubt." The blonde Knight grumbled, glancing over her shoulder to check if she hadn't already attracted any tails on her way from the inn. As many alleys as she had passed it wouldn't have been a stretch of the imagination to believe someone had been lurking in one of them, watching from the shadows.

The high officers had a curfew going and she was breaking it by being out at this hour. If one of the officers from another company happened to catch her they would undoubtedly use the opportunity to demean Camilla's position as a commander of her own unit out of spite alone. The '_Crimson Fox_', as folk were taking to dubbing her these days, was attracting a lot of mixed interest with all the talk of her skirmishes during the last major conflict in the Vetis Canyon.

Apparently even the Wolves were beginning to pass around stories about her at their own camps to further demonize her position as a threat. It wouldn't be long before her company of knights became a personal target for the opposition, overlooking the possibility that it hadn't already gone that far. They had been run into corners and surrounded by the enemy so many instances during their last outing on the war grounds that it would have been difficult to call it off as just ill fortune on their part. Whatever the case, Camilla had lead them through it safely and the other commanders weren't joining in on the praise she was receiving for her commendable feats. The damned dhampir. What she ever did to gain the favor of Mistress Beatrix, no one would ever know.

Evangeline walked past a dimly lit tavern and stopped herself five paces away from it. It was the only place open for blocks to come and she felt that putting any more of a distance between herself and the inn would serve to inconvenience her, and possibly Camilla for that matter. The blonde couldn't help the small smile that crept across her lips. _So this is what it means to actually give a rats ass about someone else, huh? _She shrugged her shoulders and turned around to enter her selection of refuge. Her nerve wilted somewhat when she found the place mostly empty save the bartender, a young undine who regarded her with mild interest upon seeing her enter.

"Has anyone else come here recently?" Evangeline asked the lovely bartender in a quiet voice as she approached the bar.

Polishing off a wine glass, the cerulean skinned woman turned to place it on the shelf behind her completing a row of identical glasses. "You're my first visitor in a good while. Not many in the mood for spirits this evening, I'm afraid."

"Good." Evangeline took a seat on the stool at the left corner of the bar counter. "A pint, if you would?"

"Well enough." The undine reached back and slipped a mug off the shelf, kneeling down to serve her a beer from one of the barrels beneath the counter. She set the slightly frothing mug down on the smooth, glossy finish and passed it down to be received in Evangeline's open hand. "Not expecting company, lady knight?"

Wiping foam from her upper lip, Evangeline answered smoothly, "A party of one." Her eyebrow went up in suspicion. "Why?"

The tavern door opened a moment after Evangeline answered the bartender and the knight felt her own heart stop for a beat, knuckles going milky white as her hand clenched around the handle of her beer mug in stark panic. She sunk low in her stool, letting her chin rest on the counter while she fought back the sensation of illness that began to build in the pit of her stomach and the undine glanced at her suspiciously before returning her attention to the new visitor.

The woman walked slow and purposefully with her heavy buckled boots, the thick black cloak around her shoulders clapping heavily with each step like the wings of a large bat. The coat of armor that hung on her body was equally dark, with no gleam or polish as though it supped greedily of the light that touched upon its dull surface, and her gauntlets were sharp and lethal, perfect for piercing and gouging should she feel the need to utilize them in such a way.

Her hair was dark, long and unruly, falling over her shoulders, down her back, and over the right side of her face in thick curls, but Evangeline could see the bandages covering the right eye that her hair obscured. The eye that was exposed for the world to see was like a bewitching emerald, solid and intense like everything else about her. She was a gorgeous woman without a doubt, elegant and imposing in the manner that she carried herself, however, her expression, neutral and unforgiving, did nothing to compliment that. One could spot the same look on a stalking wolf, both calculating and unfeeling.

There was no suspense in discovering the identity of this titan because Evangeline McDowell already knew her well enough from an advised distance. Camilla often met with this woman, and occasionally spoke of her when one inquired about her life before leading the company, but one needn't the pleasure of being acquainted with the '_Crimson Fox_' to know of this particular woman by extension for she had been recognized all around the world by her own merit long before Camilla ever entered the military; hailed by those who fought alongside her and hated by those who obsessed over glory enough to turn their blade against her, but respected by all who would hold a sword without prejudice. She was General Beatrix Alexander, a Dark Mistress of the highest order, and a woman with names given to her by the tongues of nearly every language, from the mouths of all vampiric clans to the lips of the demons below and perhaps of those winged ones that were said to rule the realm beyond ascension.

What the wolves dubbed her in their own language roughly translated to '_Dead Future_', or '_The Fall_'. The generation that was around to see and hear about her in her younger days referred to her now as the '_Pride Harvester_' for having stolen away so many sons and daughters from their grieving families. Even her own people had names for her that would give the impression that there were none in the underworld that didn't harbor fear for her very existence, but Camilla simply called her mother; not to her face, but even then she was one of a handful that could address the general familiarly without being considered foolish for doing so.

"At ease, girl." Beatrix seated herself two stools away from Evangeline without sparing her a glance. "I don't walk into taverns to deal with insubordination." She raised one finger to the bartender and the undine prepared her a pint. When the beer was passed over to her she brought a talon like finger to the rim of the mug and traced a half circle before letting her hand rest on the counter gently. "Though if you had been so concerned about the consequences of violating the curfew you wouldn't be at a tavern at this hour." She turned her head halfway to regard Evangeline with her uncovered eye. "You're more concerned about how you being caught might affect Camilla's credibility, however, if you'd been thinking clearly at the time you opened your window to sneak out you would have remained in your room."

Sensing that her pause meant that she was awaiting some sort of response, Evangeline opted for one. "You know me." She didn't question it because it was clear already by the way Beatrix tied her to Camilla that she knew a fair deal.

"There are few who haven't heard about you by now." Beatrix told her, turning on the stool to cross a leg as she faced her. "McDowell the '_Golem Slayer_' is the name going around at present; surely nothing more than a place holder for grander titles to come. Camilla always had an uncanny knack for attracting extraordinary individuals."

Evangeline glanced at the general's beer, at this point appearing to her more as a stage prop than a beverage given how it was so far being ignored in favor of conversation. Beatrix didn't come here for a drink. She was here to see her, but what interest did a woman of her position and power have with the likes of a common knight?

Beatrix went on as Evangeline studied her in silence, her anxieties beginning to rise in the face of such a dilemma. "The Elman girl has followed her since they were children, and the young Tepes heir fights beside her to see how long she can hold on to her resolve to fight for a people that aren't her own. McVicar–" A twitch came to Evangeline's brow at the mention of that one, "–just appears to be along for the sake of experience, and the young Slade fights because she has grown attached to her sisters in arms and has nothing else more worthwhile to pull her away." The general's eye, up to this point in the conversation a window that bared nothing for Evangeline to see, had something flicker through it for a moment. It made the knight uncomfortable to detect an emotion in this woman because it meant that this talk really had something personal at stake. "No one is selfless, McDowell, and you in particular do not seem the sort to do anything without something to gain in return. You are also not enlisted and can only be seen as a wandering mercenary for all purposes, but you do not follow the trend of one. You do not ask for payment like any sellsword would, and it was you who sought out Camilla, fighting through the war grounds to find her which could only mean that you had been observing her movements from a distance up to that moment. It was not a chance encounter."

Evangeline felt herself begin to sweat under the gaining momentum of her words.

"She also turned you away the first time you offered your services, but you refused to leave her." Beatrix took a moment of silence to study the expression of the girl sitting across from her before asking the question she had been leading up toward, "What is it that you expect to gain from Camilla? She has no wealth, power, or influence over anything. I doubt she can grant you anything at all beyond her companionship."

"I want nothing more than that." Evangeline answered in a low voice, and to her credit it managed to take Beatrix aback, as momentary it was.

"I can only say that your answer makes your case even more difficult to believe." Beatrix said after recovering from the shock. "And it does not paint the picture of sanity for one when they claim to walk the valley of the dead in search of one's hand in friendship. Meeting her on the street would have sufficed."

"I want to find a place in the world to call my own and I know that she can grant me that." Evangeline retorted. "I'd known that since the first time I laid eyes on her, and I had her promise me that much when I did. Knowing that I could finally show her that I was deserving of that pushed me on to come after her in that valley of death." The knight brought her mug to her lips for a swig before clapping it down on the counter with more force than she intended. "So far she has shown herself to be a woman of her word. I'm grateful for that."

Beatrix nodded a few times to herself at the young girl's response, bringing a finger to her own lips for a moment before slowly pointing it toward Evangeline, eyes narrowing imperceptibly as something truly frightening left her mouth, "And you are willing to take her life for that desire to be fulfilled."

Evangeline froze, a part of her wondering if she heard that correctly. "...What?"

"You realize that when it begins to talk to you it never intends to fall silent again." The reaction was immediate. Evangeline's back straightened out as though an electric current ran through her, and she stood forward to reach out for the general, but the other woman's hand shot out and gripped her wrist firmly. Beatrix rose from her own seat to the growing panic of the undine bartender, standing a good two heads taller than Evangeline, and threw the blonde knight's arm to the side before using the same hand that gripped her wrist to grab her by the neck in a motion too quick to defend against. Beatrix lifted her from the ground slowly, staring her in the eye the entire time.

"GWUH!" Evangeline cried out when Beatrix walked her to the wall and held her against it with no visible effort on her part. "Hnk–uhk..." She reached up with both hands to grip the general's wrist in a vain attempt to pry the hand free from her neck. "...Y...You know..." She groaned out when it finally became apparent that struggling would do her no good. Her vision was beginning to swim with dots. "You know!" She snarled as best she could.

"I know the smell of that darkness." Beatrix began, never loosening her grip as she went on, "And you reek of it, girl. It is unfortunate that such a thing was passed on to you. You will suffer for it, have no illusions that it will pass from you quietly."

"Passed on?" Evangeline's legs stopped kicking.

"I was present when the darkness was given form." Beatrix lifted her higher against the wall. "I saw it when it possessed my lord and comrades, and I see now that it can be passed on to others. You are proof of that, girl, and it has confirmed something that I have been mulling over for many years. I do not like my answer." She dropped Evangeline to the ground and the released girl sank against the wall until she could only stare up at her in a daze. "You think it is something that you posses, that it is your tool to use. You embrace this power because it puts you above others and gives you peace of mind in a world of uncertainty in such times of war, but know this–it is _not_ yours for it has no master. It pledges no loyalty."

Evangeline brought a hand up to her own neck to massage it, not offering a word of reply as she continued to stare up with half-lidded eyes.

Beatrix crouched down, her cloak falling around her like thick black tendrils curling along the floor. "It extends its hand out not in friendship, but as bait to pull you in, and should you continue to consort with this darkness you will put other lives at stake."

"C-Camilla?" Evangeline rasped out.

"I will let you in on a secret." Beatrix leaned in, devouring the knight in her shadow. "I know what it is you feel for Camilla. I have loved that foolish girl for longer than I myself have realized, and I regret that the opportunity to show that to her has slipped through my fingers. I will carry that regret until I meet my end...if I am lucky it will be by the end of her blade."

"You _are_ her mother?" A vicious heat began to simmer in Evangeline's chest.

"I am _not_." The general answered. "I was given the chance to be that once and I squandered the years in detachment for fear of accepting it. I raised the girl not as a woman, but as a soldier and I will never hear her call me '_mother_' because of that."

"...I see."

"And that is why I intend to protect her while I still can." Beatrix's face came even closer as her voice lowered to a haunting whisper. "I have no right to speak, but I am a selfish woman at heart, a hypocrite, and will undoubtedly become something far worse in time. If you value Camilla more than this place you seek in the world, then you will leave her side for her sake."

"Why?" Evangeline cried sharply, unwilling to accept such advice.

"Because she is the sort of girl that will see the good in a _monster_." Beatrix answered her, pointing a finger to her one final time. "Even if it turns on her when it counts most." She stood up and turned away from Evangeline, her cloak flapping loudly with the motion. "And tragedy always does strike when it counts most, McDowell." She began to walk away, still talking as she got farther toward the door of the tavern. "I should pity you, girl. We appear to walk the same path after all." She placed her hand on the tavern door and stopped, looking over her shoulder. "You needn't worry about those who were following you. After seeing me walk out they will have wisely decided against their schemes, so have a beer on me while you ponder my words. Farewell, McDowell." She took her leave.

Evangeline made no visible effort to move from her place hunched against the wall. She kept her eyes to the floor, her head bowed in a way that made it appear as if she was sleeping. "What right?" She asked no one. _I'm here because I refused to be put down. _"To call me a monster." _I've earned my place with Camilla. _"No fault of mine." _I wasn't given a choice to become this. _"My decision." _I won't allow anymore choices to be made for me. _"That bitch." _You lost your chance, old woman._

_"_Ungh." Evangeline placed her weight against the wall and slid up against it to get back to her feet.

"I suppose that beer is yours now." The undine told her, pointing to the untouched mug that Beatrix left behind. Despite being present for what just happened a moment ago she appeared quite unaffected.

Evangeline shook her head and righted herself before walking to the door. "Forget about it." She pushed the door open to walk out and stopped in front of the tavern as the door swung closed behind her. A cold mist expelled from her mouth with one long exhale and the fresh scent of wet soil filled her nostrils as drops of rain fell to the earth in a steadily building succession. "Far too appropriate." She muttered to herself disgustedly, turning to her right to head back on her way toward the inn, but her legs stopped just as she placed a foot in front of her to begin the trek back to the inn.

"The fates offer no reprieve for me this night, it would seem." She muttered darkly, eyes fixed on the approaching form of her seemingly unshakable meddler. Why this woman refused to leave her be, Evangeline had given up on making sense of it in fear of driving herself mad to tears. She had nothing to give, nor was she willing to give anything to her, and she made that clear to her on many occasions, yet still this woman reached out to her always with that mysterious smile that vexed her so.

"Are you daft, girl?" Evangeline began, fixing a mask of indifference on her face to veil her tumultuous state of mind. "I have my own immunity provided to cover my ass, but you're certainly in no position to be walking the streets at this hour."

Lucinda McVicar grinned in response, waving her concerns aside with a few flicks of her hand as was her way when Seraphina Elman 'nagged' at her. "I've already taken care of that, Eva. No need to fret for me."

"Hmph." Evangeline proceeded forward, brushing past her fellow knight rudely to go on ahead of her. "It's not you that I'm concerned about, McVicar."

Lucinda laughed softly. "I know." She turned around to follow Evangeline back. "However, you did manage to worry me, you naughty girl. Leaving in the middle of the night, and through the window of your room." The sultry knight went on dramatically with a flourish of her hands as she came up beside Evangeline. "If you were that bored in your room you could have called me in to entertain you."

Evangeline glared at her, put off by how casual she went about it all. "I don't see why you followed after me." She hissed, eyes narrowing agitatedly. _Can't you see that I'm in no mood for your usual games, you harlot? _"You're only making things worse by doing so."

"I can take care of myself." Lucinda assured her nonchalantly.

For some reason that response was all it took to crack the mask she had been maintaining up to that point, screaming, "And you believe me incapable of doing the same?!" She stopped walking, turning to Lucinda with a violent throw down of her left hand.

Lucinda didn't respond with aversion as Evangeline hoped she would. "That isn't it at all." She told her smoothly, reaching out to gently hold Evangeline's left hand as it trembled at her side. "It's just what friends do. We try to look after each other no matter the risk."

Evangeline slipped her left hand out of Lucinda's grasp with a tug. "That is where you keep getting it wrong, Lucinda." She pointed a finger at her with a scowl. "We are _not_ friends. I do _not_ want to be your friend. You are an annoyance!" She pushed out the hand she pointed to her with and shoved her back, advancing on her to shove her again and again as she continued vehemently, "You bother me! I am never at peace when you're around!"

"Evangeline–" Lucinda tried to get another word in only to be shoved back again, almost slipping to the ground from the force behind it.

"But you keep at it! You keep at my heels like some keening mutt!" She made one final shove and Lucinda's back slammed against a wall behind her. "What will it take for you to understand that I do not like you?! What will it take for you to get it through your thick skull that–" Evangeline wanted to scream at her more, but her throat finally tightened up to the point of strangling any further attempts of venting her anger and frustration. Instead she made a fist and punched the wall beside Lucinda's head, teeth bared and shoulders shivering as the light drizzle finally picked up coming down on the both of them fiercely.

Both of them stared back into each others eyes in a profound silence, their hair drenched and slick against their faces. Lucinda could see Evangeline coming close to the point of hyperventilating, but her sharp breaths were dead to her ears in the deluge, wild yet peaceful.

Lucinda held up a hand to the side of Evangeline's face, tucking a few strands hanging wet in front of her face behind her ear before resting it on her cheek. Evangeline's eyes closed slowly from the surprisingly warm touch and she shrunk back ever so slightly, the wrinkles of tension in her nose, chin and brow giving away to relax. "The rain won't hide you from me, Evangeline." Lucinda kept the other woman from turning her head away when she said that. "Your tears weigh heavier than any of those falling from the heavens."

Evangeline fell against her bowing her face into her shoulder, and Lucinda held her, back still pressed against the wall from being leaned against.

"I don't want to leave." Evangeline wrapped her arms around Lucinda and gripped her as though she would be sucked away into the abyss had she loosened her hold in the slightest. "I'm tired of it, you know? I'm tried of traveling alone."

"Oh, Eva, you're not alone." Lucinda massaged her fingers into her hair. "I keep telling you that."

"You only say that because you're ignorant of it."

"Of what?"

"Of my real nature." Evangeline told her gravely. "The monster that I am."

"No." Lucinda attempted to soothe her by stroking her head. "You don't realize what you're saying."

Evangeline tried to pull away, but Lucinda held her securely, never letting her go. "I know what it is I am! I think I've been aware of it for a while now!" She bowed her head again. "I've just been ignoring it out of greed." She breathed in long and slow, exhaling with another drawn out shiver. "I've hidden it away so I could blend in and partake of undeserving pleasures; things not meant for me."

"You don't know what nonsense you're babbling on about, Eva." Lucinda spoke to her comfortingly, her lips to the blonde's ear. "Monsters don't have what you do. They don't have the strong feelings that you express, the tears that you shed in your plea for a family. They lack the sense of self you possess, your desire for acceptance in a world even as it tumbles down around us. They know nothing of the passion you exude, burning brilliantly like a fighting flame in the creeping darkness." She hugged her tightly. "What do they know of hopes, Eva; of dreams or ambitions? I could not love a monster as I love you, Evangeline McDowell, because they lack all of the things that make you so beautiful. Don't cheapen yourself, girl. You do the same to all of those that keep you in their hearts."

She hated Lucinda's knack for the right words. "You say such ridiculous things."

"To keep denying is ridiculous." Lucinda retorted. "I do not hold you now out of false feelings. To accuse me of such trickery is insulting enough."

"Ahhh." Evangeline lifted her head, her mood somewhat improved by her war sister's words. "But I should tell you that if your hands fall any further _you_ will be in need of some comforting, Lucinda."

"Granted that you're the one providing it, I don't much care for the consequences, Evangeline." Lucinda smiled.

Evangeline found it within herself to smile back, genuine and true without pretense. "Don't count on it, friend."

* * *

**_ [F] {V} [A]_**

* * *

Five days he'd been with her as her captive, observing her, admiring her for the brilliant, conniving woman she was and appreciating the beauty she unashamedly possessed, but only now at this very moment as Chao Xue extended her hand out to him to help him off the ground, did he really see her for who she truly was in the grand scheme. Only now as she donned the combat suit that was in all ways too similar to the one that Chao Lingshen had been outfitted with on the zeppelin did Negi Springfield understand that this person was the amazing individual that would one day bring his beloved, former student into the world as her newborn daughter. It once again affirmed something that had long ago entered his mind since the moment he had first met her in the restaurant; this woman was important to him, possibly even precious to him as a valued friend if Lingshen's claim of his relationship with her was indeed true.

While it may have been true that this same person did at one point threaten him with torture and went as far as to take him as an unwilling captive, promising him a decidedly unpleasant end had he attempted some manner of escape before she was done using him as her personal guinea pig, he knew she couldn't have been such a bad person. He'd seen her for the person she truly was, how she was a mother to the girls that worked for her, the playful and charming person she could be when she dropped her guard at such times as the night before when they cooked together as equals and perhaps as two friends. (_Assuming that even that wasn't an act on her part to ensure that he would not leave the restaurant before her tests were finished. Admittedly, Negi still found her to be a little untrustworthy in the department of character._) Not only that, but she had returned for him in his time of need. That had to count for something, didn't it? (_Though, as Chachazero had put it time and again, she was Lingshen's mother. No disrespect to his former student, but...ah..._)

"That look." Negi's expression betrayed him. The words out of Xue's mouth as she helped him to his feet were proof of how naked his emotions must have been to her sharp eyes. "You've known me not longer than a week and already you're looking at me so tenderly." The left corner of her mouth curled upward, lips parting to reveal a grin. "Oh, how you fascinate me, Negi. I receive more stimulation from you in days than I get in months."

Flustered by her teasing, Negi ran a hand down his face to forcibly wipe the look from it before clearing his throat. As much as he hated to admit to it he was relieved that Xue intervened when she did. That Sheik Muhammad fellow was without a doubt a character above the usual grade that he was used to dealing with on ocassion, perhaps even up there with the likes of Evangeline McDowell and her old associate Lucinda McVicar. Any confirmation of that being true was something Negi wasn't too eager to find out first hand, though given the circumstances of his current predicament he wasn't going to get out of this one unless he drove to man away by force. Confirmation was coming whether he wanted it or not.

Putting that aside for the moment–"What was that?" Negi's expression betrayed his feelings yet again. Xue's amusement at his incredulous tone was visible just as well. She was the sort that took pride in her own ability to elicit such reactions after all. "You just sent him flying over the lawn and across the street!" Could it have been some kind of martial arts technique he'd never been educated about? He couldn't help what came out of his mouth next. "You're just a regular woman!"

It might have just been his imagination, but Xue's smile appeared to twist horribly for an instant after she received that careless remark, taking the features of what resembled a demonic Noh mask. Just his imagination, of course.

Xue took a fistful of his white shirt into her left gauntlet, pulling him face to face with her. "What is that supposed to mean, Mage?" She hissed at him through a grin all but friendly. "Making light of me because I'm human?"

Negi raised both hands with a shake of his head, "That's not what I meant! I mean, I'm human-" Not entirely true he realized at that moment. "Well, er, what I mean to say is..."

"Yes?" Xue asked, deadpan expression gracing her lovely features.

"That man isn't going to fall easily." Negi explained, his voice transitioning seamlessly from flustered to serious all too quickly for the scientist to believe she was carrying on an exchange with the same person. "I don't know how you managed what you did, but if we're going to get out of this..."

"We're?" Xue's tone was curious. "You mean you're going to stay around?"

Negi flinched at the absurdity of her daring to even question his decision. How could it even be a valid thought process? There was no way he was going to leave her to combat this man on her own. "Xue, you're not doing this alone."

"This really isn't any of your business, you know." The scientist grumbled, averting her eyes from his. "I've already dealt with this sort of folk,_ long_ before you ever dropped by."

"I believe you made it my business when you took me captive." He retorted. "Sorry to make this personal, but as long as you're in danger I won't stand by or turn my back. You're my responsibility."

She met his eyes again. "What makes me your responsibility?"

"We're friends, aren't we?" Negi grinned at her, reflecting on the irony of such words. From the way his grin was returned it appeared that Xue was in on the joke too.

"Negi, something tells me that the restaurant is going to feel lonely when you leave us." Her words were genuinely heartfelt, a rarity indeed. "Makes me regret removing that collar from your neck."

"It could have done just fine without the inclusion of that final part." Negi sighed at her lack of consideration for wordplay. Their moment was short lived, not that the young magister expected it to last very long, as Xue's attention was drawn away from him to the inquisitor Sheik Muhammad standing across the street from the restaurant beside the bent light pole that had originally been standing upright before the lovely scientist sent him on an unscheduled rendezvous with it. By the look on his face he'd been hit with something thought provoking, perhaps in the literal sense in this case.

"No disrespect to you, but I'll have to sympathize with the young man there." Sheik began, bringing a hand to the side of his head to scratch at it, head slightly tilted. "I think that kick you'd given me might very well bruise." He rubbed his left side to emphasize his words. "I didn't come prepared for bruises."

"Nice to see that your humor is intact, inquisitor." Xue responded with a decidedly luke warm tone. "I'll be sure to break that in time along with your body."

Sheik pressed a hand to his back, using his other hand to wag a finger at Xue with a an all too sincere expression. "I don't doubt it, Xue. You do seem capable, but..." He righted himself, cracking his back in place. "Don't expect me to take a beating without getting one in return."

"I'm a big girl..." Xue bared her teeth with a malicious grin. "And I know the rules." The Chinese scientist placed her hands on her hips as she walked down the side of the lawn toward the sidewalk of the street so that she stood across from her adversary. Sheik reached up to loosen the tie around his neck and undo a few buttons as he sized her up with a mild stare. "Still, before I am a woman I am a scientist, and in the face of danger I cannot help but revel in the risks that are stacked against me by waging my life against yours, inquisitor. What you see before you is a prototype that is still in the experimental stage!" Xue waved her hands over her own curves, supple and made all the more apparent by the skintight battle suit that hugged her body like a glove. "Even now it is capable of bending the laws of time and space. Where you're from I suppose that is a form of sorcery."

Sheik almost scoffed, but he did a job well done of restraining himself. "You'll excuse me for the skepticism. Sorcery is a lost art even to the greatest masters of the magical disciplines; the only beings capable of wielding such might transcend the plane of human existence and fall further into the world of myth by todays standards."

Xue clasped her hands together jovially with a laugh. "Demons and gods?"

"So they are called."

"Then, good sir–" What happened as she replied was nothing short of unbelievable because teleportation was by no means an incredible feat. It was an art favored by many practitioneers of the magical arts and so Sheik was very familiar with most if not all variations of teleportation and dimensional bending. He'd tested his might against beings that dwelled in the darkest reaches of the underworld and of those that stood at the loftiest spires of the kingdoms of ascension and yet with all of his experience with such awesome existences he wasn't prepared for what Xue had just done. "–what can I be but a demon?"

"Ah." The inquisitor responded heedlessly, realizing at that moment that she had always been behind him somehow even when she had been standing before him. Whatever it was, this power that she brought into the mundane world with her brilliance, it granted her the power to reign over time wherever it was present. "That is unreal."

"Master Negi," Chachazero called to her master from the top of his head, whose body went still as a rock at what he had just witnessed. "This might be our cue to run in and start the fight." She tapped him hard on the forehead to reel him back into the present state of affairs, managing a blink out of him. "Whaddya think?"

"A false start might work against us in this situation." Negi retorted in a whisper, eyes trained on Sheik and Xue while they had their verbal spar. "We still don't know what he's capable of. Shouldn't we draw him out first to get a better handle of what we're up against?"

"And that little tussle in the restaurant counted for what?" The puppet quipped. "Foreplay?"

"He wasn't trying to kill me that time." The young magister shot back. "Now that Xue has been drawn out into the fight I'm sure that is going to change." He narrowed one eye slightly. "Then there's that weird occurrence that took place a little earlier. Did you notice it?"

"You mean how his spell got neutralized before he could blow us sky high?" Chachazero humored her master, resting her chin in one hand while she held out the other. "Yep. Couldn't let that one slip by me."

Negi nodded. "So I didn't imagine that after all." He did a neck roll and worked out a kink in his upper back. "I'm willing to bet that was Xue's doing."

"Best bet, although it'd be nice to know how the hell she pulled that off."

"I'm more worried about whether its affected me as well." Negi said, observing closely as Xue reappeared in her original place across the street from a bemused Sheik. "Close quarters combat with that man isn't exactly the battle plan I had in mind. If Xue's found some way to neutralize our ability to cast spells there won't be any other choice left to me though." His eyes narrowed. "The evening won't come rolling in quietly."

"How about we ask her about it?" His faithful partner proposed sensibly enough. "Fair enough?"

Negi jogged up next to Xue and the first thing he heard upon reaching her was, "We'll crush him together then."

Negi's mind could only draw a complete blank in response. True, that technically was the plan, though he wondered if they would be able to go so far as to '_crush_' Sheik Muhammad as Xue so confidently put. Then again she had just gotten behind her own assailant and back without the man realizing a thing. Even now the inquisitor had an expression on his face that held the middle ground between wonder and disbelief. In short he was still trying to process what had just happened.

Still– "Xue, I still need to know one thing."

The lovely scientist almost sighed out, but she turned her head to regard him. "And what is that?" She seemed awfully impatient to charge in and fight. He figured her for the tactician more than the warrior; must have figured wrong.

"Did you raise an anti-magic field?" The young magister inquired, having a guess at what it might have been called. Anti-magic field? Anti-magic barrier? The former just sounded better in his opinion.

"You caught that, hmm?" Her expression flashed a smirk of pride, perhaps to the fact that her lab assistant caught on to her scheme. "Not a field, Negi. I'd explain in more detail, but there's no time. All you need to know is that my suit draws out its power based on the mana content in the area. Every time you or the inquisitor draw raw mana to cast a spell you refine it into pure destructive power that my suit quickly identifies before absorbing it and..." Xue held her left gauntlet up to eye level and a circular lense opened at the back of her hand revealing a watch-like mechanism built within. "Providing power to my Cassiopeia. Still in the experimental phase at the moment." She tacked on the last part in a hurried mumble, sounding embarrassed when she did.

"So my own magic is useless to me." Negi responded flatly. _No really, why not? I didn't expect it to be easy, so why be angry? Why? Why? Why–_

"Master." Chachazero kindly roused him out of his developing madness mantra. Negi's brow twitched.

"Your magic isn't useless to me." Xue informed him. "I'll be relying on you to keep my suit powered."

"So you want me to cast spells at random?" _That'll exhaust me._

"I'll cue you in when I need a recharge. If I'm lucky the inquisitor won't have caught on yet."

Negi couldn't resist it. "You seem awfully dependent on luck, Xue. Next you'll be telling me about your superstitions." He deadpanned, delighting Chachazero with his rare display of open sarcasm.

A vein nearly bulged on Xue's forehead. "Still in the experimental–ah, whatever! I'm...trusting you." Judging by the way she said it it must have been hard for her to squeeze out such a humble line. "I feel like I can trust you."

Negi did a good job of masking the weight that those simple words dropped on his shoulders. The last time he heard such words they came out of Chisame Hasegawa's mouth and the turn out of that night was simply shameful; a blackspot that would remain in his heart forever like a cancerous growth. _Something tells me that you don't impart those words on just anybody, Xue._

He hesitated, staring into her eyes–"You can trust me." The words came out, but his stomach twisted all the same. He turned away from Xue to direct his attention toward the enemy. His expression became apologetic. "Sorry for the hold up."

Sheik was caught off guard by the genuine apology, crossing his arms with a shake of his head. "Don't sweat it." He casually waved off with one hand. "The longer I stay away from my employer the better." He looked aside with a grumble. "Believe me."

"Round two, then?" Negi asked, getting a good natured laugh out of the man.

"Don't have much of choice, I'd say." The inquisitor shrugged.

"Couldn't have said it better!" The magister left Xue's side in a flash, kicking up grass and dirt in his charge toward the inquisitor and the entire time he was closing the distance between him and the imposing man all Negi could think of was how this entire situation resembled the idea of an impending train all in reverse. That was to say he was coming after the train like a suicidal martyr.

_I don't see any openings!_ Negi clenched his teeth, studying the man's body language for something to exploit, but Sheik remained as still as could be, returning the stare with a calm air about him. He was far more ready than Negi would ever be. Not a comforting sign, but– "She's trusting me!" The young magister stopped short in front of the inquisitor with a straight jab to the center of the body.

His fist was caught by Sheik's open hand, held firmly to keep him from pulling back. "You're a little older than Ender from the looks of it."

"Hugh!" Negi whipped his hips and landed a kick to the inquisitor's side to break free. Seeing the man stumble to the side from the sudden blow instilled confidence in the young vampire. _I can do this._

Jumping in the air Negi whipped around with a spin kick to Sheik's face, missing the first kick when the agent dodged backwards and regretting it when his other leg was caught firmly with both hands. He was caught like a struggling fish dangling from a hook.

"You're obviously trained!" Sheik grunted before slamming Negi to the ground with enough force to cave the concrete in. The impact momentarily dazed the vampire getting a cry from his familiar to return to his senses. "But–" He shifted his grip on the young man's leg in preparation to break it. His hold was released not a moment later when there was a sudden crack; Xue's boot met the man's face with the roll of thunder and Sheik, for once, looked as though he had been dealt a sound blow, reaching up with one hand to hold his face as his legs fought to return to him.

"Hey, watch the goods on him!" Xue took on a stance to charge the recovering Mage, a stance that was all too familiar to Negi. This was getting awfully nostalgic. "I'm beginning to grow fond of him!" Her movements defied everything that should have been conventionally allowed by mundane standards. She invaded Sheik's personal space before he could take any defensive maneuvers to combat her sudden onslaught of blows.

Her fists pounded his ribs, slipping past any movements he could make to parry. He tried to rely on his leg work to get some breathing space, but she kept on advancing inward keeping on the pressure. She danced with him, their legs crossing, clashing, stepping in and around one another. Their hands grasped at each other; straight jabs, feints, and parries.

"This–ungh!" Sheik swayed to the left, wincing when Xue's knee met his left side to keep him in a direct line with her punches. He grinned at her in spite of his bizarre predicament. The stories were true after all. "Is unreal–guh!" He was almost taken off the ground by an uppercut to his abdomen.

Xue bared her teeth with a wild smile looking for all the world like a bloodthirsty predator. "It's called science!" She stepped in, turning her hips with an elbow jab to his chin. Sheik's head was thrown back by the blow. "Your magic falls before its might!" She whipped around with a roundhouse knocking the inquisitor's body to the side with ferocious kick. "Just as you will fall before me–huh?" Her triumphant boasting stopped short when she found that her foot was gripped in Sheik's right hand. He caught it out of reflex and by the expression on his face he wasn't sure how he managed it himself.

The Mage rose a brow, using his free hand to rub his jaw. "Ran out of gas, dear?"

_What happened?!_ Xue quickly raised the back of her left gauntlet to eye level to check the status of her Cassiopeia. The energy readings were in the critical zone. _Looks like I got too carried away with her!_ She turned her head and cried out, "Negi!"

At Xue's call Sheik's instincts told him to direct his attention upward and was rewarded for it. Negi came sailing downward upon his head with a kick that should have split his head perfectly down the middle if given the opening to connect with the intended target. Releasing Xue's foot the inquisitor crossed both arms over his head to block the axe kick giving the scientist the opportunity she needed to retreat.

Sheik pulled back his arms after foiling the young magister's dynamic entry and made to punish him for it as he still hung in the air from the deflected blow. "Spirit of the devouring flame, cleanse my foes!" A crack of fire sparked Shiek's open palm as he direct it at Negi and the oxygen in the space surrounding the vampire was alight within seconds of the incantation.

"Master!" Chachazero could already taste the imminent danger they were in. "He casted a spell!"

_Magic?! But how?!_ Negi reacted just as the flames converged to envelop him in its unforgiving fury. "A bulwark of the blessed light! Shield me!" An orb of unseen magical properties wrapped around him, valiantly fighting against the flames to protect its young master, but the engorging inferno proved to be quite intense. Cracks began to form all around the surface of the light barrier.

"A dark magister calling upon the spirits of light?" Sheik taunted Negi as the light barrier began to crumple inward against the pushing flames. "Methinks you're pretending to be something you're not."

Negi pulled back one arm as if preparing to throw a spear at the inquisitor, one leg raised while his other foot pointed down as if to aim for the target. "I'll take it into consideration!" Completing the wordless incantation within his mind, a lance of darkness materialized in Negi's hand piercing the barrier on both sides with its length. Curses engraved in an old forgotten language marked every inch of the lance burning red hot with the eternal hatred of vengeful spirits.

Pierced by the cursed lance, Negi's barrier shattered and the inferno moved in to swallow him–"Hyaaah!"–The young man's arm was faster. He sent the lance screaming downward into the inquisitor's face and the flames were extinguished by the presence of a newly erected barrier.

"That's more like it!" Sheik commended Negi, pride ringing true in his voice like a pleased instructor. "Don't fear the darkness, Springfield!" His hair danced with the force of the two powers clashing against one another. His barrier held still against the ever screaming lance until something odd took place.

"Hm?" Sheik rose a brow as he seemed ever prone to do when something noteworthy took place within his sights. Negi's lance, as if finally acknowledging the barrier as an impenetrable foe, switched gears abruptly. Instead of outright trying to run itself through the barrier as had proved useless up till now it began to spin, drilling through the barrier as a result with astounding efficiency. "I didn't think you were capable." The inquisitor spoke calmly as the drilling lance literally began to melt a hole in his defenses. His expression reflected his demeanor until Negi threw a hand back and summoned four more lances exactly like it over his head.

"And I appreciate that." Negi threw his hand down in Sheik's general direction and the lances shot down at his command.

The inquisitor's seemingly impenetrable barrier shattered inward under the strike of all five projectiles–"Oh."–and completely obliterated the ground where he stood in a great explosion of smoke and debris just as he came to realize the gravity of the situation.

Negi landed in front of the great cloud of dust, shoulders rising and falling quickly as he caught his breath. "That did it?"

Gripping his hair uncertainly, Chachazero found that she couldn't provide him with a definite answer. "Keep on your guard!"

"That was splendid, Negi!" Xue cried out to him from the distance. Negi chanced a look at her, smiling in response when–"Watch out!" The lovely scientist's face contorted with panic.

Giving into instinct alone Negi leaned back as he turned to face the dust cloud again. Shiek's hand missed Negi's neck by the edge of his fingernails, closing savagely around thin air just before the rest of him emerged from the cloud still covered in a shroud of smoke.

"Ah!" Negi kicked back a second time when the smoke dissipated to reveal a shirtless Sheik coming at him fast, his upper body revealed to be a mass of lean sculpted muscle and battle scars that the clothes so deceptively kept hidden from sight. The man was more of a warrior than the young magister initially believed him to be.

"The Thousand Master should be proud!" Sheik cried out in exaltation, slamming a fist into the street. The concrete superheated until a river of fire gushed forth in a straight beeline for Negi. The young magister's hair was thrown back by the intense heat wave, eyes squinting for a way of escape.

"Monster." Xue could think of no other word of description, biting her lip as she watched Negi throw himself out of the way of the molten river just barely. She looked at her left gauntlet, sweat forming at her forehead more from the rising anxiety than the intense heat. "How much longer, dammit?!" Two minutes till it cooled down, exactly.

"Oh, Eva!" Negi cried out, holding five dark arrows in reserve with a wordless incantation. "If you could see me now!" He waited for Sheik to advance on him again before letting them loose one by one in steady succession.

Shiek's movements were quick and precise. One roundhouse to kick one arrow back in Negi's direction.

Negi ran forward to meet the inquisitors charge, smacking the returned arrow aside without so much as an afterthought as he pumped his legs.

Sheik followed his roundhouse with a jump in the air, twisting his hips as he did to preform a spin kick that returned two more dark arrows to their caster.

Negi weaved right and left in between both of them, continuing his charge with a determined glare that belied his youth. The entire time his mouth moved wordlessly.

Seeing Negi closing in to meet him Sheik increased the pace of his charge, swatting aside the fourth dark arrow. He held his hand out to go so far as to catch the fifth and final arrow, but just as it came within his reach it swerved out of the way at the last moment and shot upward, exploding and expanding into a portal angled at Sheik's back.

"Another trick?!" Sheik cried out in amusement, readying his fist to pound his coming adversary.

Bringing both hands together to form a rat seal (_Taking a page from Kaede's teachings_), Negi scowled finding it hard to share in the amusement. "Give it time!" He screamed humorlessly. Whipping out his right hand to unveil three shadow kunai tucked between his fingers he dodged Sheik's left hook by rolling underneath the force of the vicious swing and spun around just as Sheik whipped around to face him to throw the knives crafted from dark magic at the inquisitors shadow. It took a moment for the older mage to realize what he had just done.

"Ninjutsu?" Sheik questioned incredulously.

Negi finally smirked. "I had a good teacher." He performed a shundo to put as much distance as possible between him and Sheik so he could perform the next phase of his trap. "Many good teachers!" It was at that point that the inquisitor's attention was returned to the portal that was opened earlier as Negi finished his silent incantation out loud. "Seven hundred and seventy seven spirits of darkness! Come and strike mine enemy!" The portal seemed to let out a horrible roar in response to its master's invocation.

"I really like you, kid." Was the last words out of Sheik Muhammad's mouth before all seven hundred and seventy seven arrows came screeching out of the portal in a salvo, raining destruction upon his immobilized form like a swarm of angry crows. The chain of explosions should have, by all means, caused a violent stir from the residents of the town, but as it had become apparent to Negi after attacking with his cursed lance, Sheik must have placed a charm around the area surrounding the restaurant to ward off the attention of would be mundane witnesses. Not that it would do much to cover the expenses of all the damages when everything was said and done.

"Incoming!" Chachazero's alert saved Negi from a dark arrow to the face as it came shooting toward him from the dust cloud that enveloped the inquisitor. It was followed by another and another until they were coming back at Negi in a barrage.

"This guy doesn't give up!" Negi growled, readying himself to return the barrage of arrows screaming toward him, but-

"Don't let those go to waste!" Xue stepped in front of him causing an immediate panic in the young vampire.

"Xue! Get out of the way!" Negi gripped her shoulder to get her behind him, wincing when she pinched his hand to get it off.

"Hey." She smiled at him over her shoulder, holding out her left hand to the fast approaching arrows still in the process of being returned. "Stop trying to be so cool. This is my chance to shine!"

"Give it a moment." Chachazero quipped from the top of Negi's head. "You'll be giving off quite a glow in just a few seconds."

"I keep forgetting that you can talk." Xue responded flatly to the mean spirited comment. "So unscientific."

"I keep forgetting that you can walk." The sadistic puppet shot back. "I can fix that though."

"The arrows!" Negi brought both ladies back to the urgent matter of their approaching doom.

"As I said!" The Cassiopeia Zero activated once more and Xue's left gauntlet began to whir. "Under control!" And just as she claimed, the arrows no longer posed a considerable threat to them. Breaking down into raw mana before their very eyes, all of the energy swirled into Xue's hand as if drawn toward a drain combining together to give form to an orb of pure energy that sat within her palm like a burning ember.

"Brilliant, aren't I?" She closed her hand around the orb and it was absorbed directly into the suit through her gauntlet. "This should keep me going again for a good while."

"That's unnatural on so many levels." Negi grumbled, unsure what to make of the fact that all of his conjured arrows were just stolen away so effortlessly.

"Only because its innovative." Xue retorted with a wag of her finger. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Mage to grind into dust." She vanished like a mirage and the next thing Negi heard was grunts of pain from the dust cloud that had yet to dissipate from Sheik's position.

"She's a wicked one isn't she?" Chachazero remarked. "Lingshen's father must have been one tough son of a bitch to handle a snake like her."

"You know, I get the impression that you just don't like her." Negi said, proceeding over to the cloud.

"And I get the impression that you're turning into a walking example of Stockholm Syndrome."

"Will you ever forgive her?"

"Never."

"Enough of this!" Negi and Chachazero halted their conversation when an unfamiliar voice cried out from within the dust cloud. It was undoubtedly feminine, but Negi was certain that it didn't come from Xue.

"Xue!" Negi threw all caution to the wind and ran in only to be thrown back when a body collided into him without warning. Skidding across the street from the force of the impact Negi looked down to see that he was indeed holding Xue in his arms. "Xue?!"

"_Huuk_!" The lovely scientist gasped for air, holding her stomach. "She appeared from thin air." She choked out. "A woman holding a slab of metal."

"From thin air?" Negi questioned, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. "Could it be another Mage?"

A strong gust of wind erupted from within the dust cloud clearing it away. When it was gone Negi saw Sheik standing beside a slightly tanned buxom woman dressed in an armored two piece bikini that did little to conceal the immodesty of her generous bosom, for lack of a more appropriate word, (_If not for all the muscle on her body Negi would have figured her incapable of standing upright_) or her lovely buttocks. Her silver, gem encrusted bracers or greaves did nothing to help with the imagination of all who layed eyes upon her tantalizing physique. Other noteworthy features were her dark pink mane of hair dancing proudly in the wind and her long, pointed ears.

"An elf?" Negi thought he'd seen everything. "An actual elf?"

"We're officially tangling with the big leagues now." Chachazero said a little too pleasantly. "Oh master, you make a girl proud!"

"And the Dark Mistresses aren't the big leagues?" Negi quipped, remaining surprisingly cool in the face of a new challenger.

"Weeeeell..." Chachazero had to think on that one. "They're in a league of their own." A beat. "Oh, by the way, master."

"Yes?"

"Making your debut fight in a chef uniform–classy." She snarked. "A shame you lost the hat back there though."

"I doubt anyone is more concerned about that than you."

"Maybe you should take off your shirt then?" Chachazero suggested. "We might attract more hits that way."

And Negi was lost. "Hits?"

Ignoring the banter between the young man and his familiar the elf turned to Sheik with a frown. "Why are you drawing out this fight, master?" She asked impatiently, leaning against her grand daiklave. "Let's just kill them. I wanna go home already."

"We only came to kill one person." Sheik told his servant. "Now if it were only that easy..." He rubbed his smarting jaw. "Astameer wasn't exaggerating about this woman after all. She really has opened a vein into sorcery and she wields it like a simple tool; like a weapon she has mastered all along."

"She doesn't look like anything special." The elf snorted before setting her sights on Negi. "The boy on the other hand." A grin crept across her lips. "I'll be damned."

"You see it too?" Sheik chuckled. "He claims to be the son of the Thousand Master, and he doesn't use the title as a crutch, that much I can tell you."

"Still, to give you so much trouble..." She trailed off. "Mind explaining that?"

"The kid is clever, a perfect match for Chao Xue. Her sorcery isn't inexhaustible by any means, but the boy buys her the time she needs to supply it with the energy it requires to function." Sheik explained, glancing at Xue. The scientist was still silently observing from afar with Negi. "I'm not sure what the source is, but when she gets it she becomes a force to reckon with. We can't take her lightly."

"So if we get rid of the kid she's good as dead." The elf deduced. "Easy enough."

"Easy for you you mean." Sheik scoffed. "You don't have to put up with the beating she dishes out. Anyway, keep the kid occupied. Do not kill him, Lucia."

"I'll try not to." The so named Lucia replied nonchalantly. "Babysitting isn't my thing, after all." She got off her sword and gripped the hilt with one hand before pointing to Negi with the other. "You get any of that, kid?!"

"What?" Negi yelled back, not having expected to be singled out so suddenly.

Lucia, or as she was officially known by all who recognized the sight of her grand daiklave, '_Fury_', licked her lips. "You're my prey!"

"As for you, Xue." Sheik called out the Chinese scientist getting a scowl from her. "If your hatred for the council is so potent show me the extent of it with your power."

Xue didn't like how the situation was shaping up. "They're trying to separate us." She told Negi. "He must know about the limitations of the Cassiopeia."

"Then we'll take them on at the same time." Negi suggested.

"That won't work." Xue shook her head. "It was fine when it was just Muhammad, but now that there's two..."

"So you just want to fall into their design? Knowing its a trap won't improve our chances if we simply go along!" Negi argued, failing to see how that would help anything.

"Do you have a better idea?" Xue shot back. "If we fight them together we're in no better a position. I can take down Sheik alone."

"But last time–"

"Last time I got ahead myself." Xue cut him off before he could present a solid argument. "Like I said, this is the first time I've taken her out for intensive use. I wasn't sure how much she could take before, but now I have a better understanding of her limits."

"Xue..." Negi tried not to avert his eyes from hers when he continued, "Have you ever considered just...running away?"

Xue's expression was dumbfounded in response. "Running away?" She couldn't say it any louder than a whisper. "From this?" Her voice gradually rose. "From anyone?" Her brows knit with anger. "What are you, a coward?"

"It's not about cowardice." He tried to explain to her in spite of her souring mood. "It's about living another day. You said it yourself, the Cassiopeia is still just a prototype–its still unpredictable! If you're just going to rush in there to prove a point of superiority then-"

"You don't get it, Springfield." Xue hissed at him, her previous on warmth him gone in an instant. She was treating him no different from the first day they met. "This is all I've ever done my entire life. You're not born into this family with a clean slate, understand? You inherit everything that is left behind by your ancestors. Their life's work, their friends, their enemies, their reputation–its all passed down to you and you have no choice but to grin and bear with it! How can I run when they'll just continue to chase me? How can I just vanish when the world expects the next Chao to do better than their parents and their grandparents and those that came before them? I was born branded a criminal by the council and I had no choice but to become one because of it."

Negi tried to form a counter argument, but there was just a little too much in that diatribe that hit close to home.

"You're the same, aren't you?" Xue demanded a response. "Negi Springfield, son of the Thousand Master, Nagi Springfield. The world expects you to live up to his reputation. Eyes are constantly following you in motion, waiting, anticipating."

Hearing her say that, Negi could only stare at her as though he was seeing an entirely different person. "You know my father's name." His statement, as there was no need to question it now, was delivered in a tone of one who had been deceived.

Xue smiled wryly. "Of course I know. I've dealt with mages all my life. I obviously had to educate myself on the related subject matter so I could come to understand them! Then there was the fact that my mother knew your father." She admitted bitterly. "They were old acquaintances, maybe even friends, not that I ever worked up the nerve to investigate further to confirm. There's pictures of him in her album, entries in her old journals about him. If I didn't know any better I'd say that she had harbored something of a crush on him before she met my father."

"But how long were you aware that I was his son?"

"After I took you captive I couldn't shake off the nagging suspicion that you looked so oddly familiar when I first saw you. I just happened to flip through my mother's photo album later that afternoon to get my thoughts into perspective. I don't keep any of my own pictures so I knew the clues had to be in there somewhere, and that's when I made the connection. You resembled him so much that it felt like some cruel joke."

The young magister couldn't help against the building sense of anger that took hold of him. "So that's the reason you started being nice to me, because of my father?"

Xue didn't answer him immediately providing more of a response than she had intended to give. "Partly the reason." She spoke after a long pause. "To be honest I wanted you to give me a reason to hate you. I figured that if I showed you kindness and you spat it back in my face I would have a legitimate case for hating mages instead of just grouping you all together as my sworn enemies simply because the council took it upon themselves to label my family as criminals. I thought it would provide me with a better incentive to hate you all if a Mage that didn't know who I was hated me for the sole fact that I was a mundane." For a moment Xue let down her mask of cold, clinical confidence and revealed her darkest regrets. "Maybe then I could justify all of the hatred I directed at my mother for holding a Mage with such high regard deep within her heart." Her smile lost some of its pretension. "In the end it turns out that I'm just a bitch full of regrets. I don't have the courage to face them with honesty in my heart."

"I can help you, Xue." Negi spoke adamantly, but she was beyond caring about what he could do for her.

"You can't just meet a person and have them decide for you that the world is different from what you imagined. Where is the logic in that?" The cynicism returned at full force. "How is it fair to live on a set of values all your life and just have someone walk over and explain how flawed you truly are? I just can't..." Xue looked away, her eyes showing the tell tale signs of tears about to form, but never shedding a single one. "I've decided that I can't turn back, Negi." She looked to him again with a frightening resolve in her eyes now. "If I kill Sheik today than I can go on believing that these past twenty two years haven't been wasted on a lie."

"But if you die..."

"If I die..." Xue's smile got more eerie the longer it remained plastered on her lips. "...I'll be free from this excuse of an existence. Now," She turned her back on him, "I have a Mage to kill." And she walked toward her destiny without looking back.

"You can't be this weak, Xue!" Negi cried out after her as she got farther away. "What was the restaurant for then?! How do you explain any of that?"

Xue continued walking, getting closer to Sheik and his servant.

"You were looking for another way! You can't tell me that you weren't! You can't just lie to yourself and claim that it was nothing more than a fabrication!" Negi's temper was nearing its peak. "It hurts, I know it does! To be told that everything you strive for isn't fulfilling or meaningful, but that's why we need the courage to face those truths, and if we can't face them alone we can accept help from friends to stand on our feet."

She readied herself to attack Sheik.

"Dammit!" Negi's legs were already taking him to Xue's side before he paid any thought to his own actions, but Lucia barred his path before he could get any closer, her giant blade stabbed into the ground in front of her as if to serve as a line he was forbidden to pass lest he was brave enough to face the consequences. "Don't force me to fight you! I can't waste any time on–" The tip of her grand daiklave was directed at his face before he could finish.

"Don't speak, son of Nagi." Lucia told him, an amused lift at the left corner of her mouth. Try as he might Negi couldn't stop his eyes from stealing glances at her finer features regardless of how angry he was. "If you must save the girl then do it as a man, understand?" Her right ear twitched as if to beckon him to her.

_Story of my life._ Negi skipped the openings and summoned Setsuna's gifted nodachi into his right hand, shifting the grip to accommodate both hands and assuming a stance with the long reaching blade (_Almost surpassing five feet in length. Setsuna's guidance and his vampiric strength allowed him to wield the blade with ease._) before sending a telepathic line to his familiar. _What have you got, Zero-chan? Unless she's been hiding until now I don't think she's capable of long distance teleportation. That and..._ He caught himself lingering on her capacious breasts again and did his best to ignore the rush of blood to his face. _I don't think anyone in their right mind would walk around dressed like that in this weather._

_Ever hear of contracted spirits?_ The green haired puppet inquired, getting a curious rise of the brow from Negi.

_You mean like summoned elementals and demons? Are they in anyway similar?_ He tried not to let himself get baited into combat with the way Xue had already began fighting Sheik no matter how restless it made him feel.

_This woman is a heroic spirit._ Chachazero clarified for him. _From the looks of that giant sword she has with her I'd say she's a berserker. Mister inquisitor doesn't seem to have opted for the mad enhancement though so she's not at her full potential._

_Mad enhancement? _Frankly the term came off as a bit more than ominous.

_A class specialty for Berserkers. It allows them to fight at maximum capacity at all times in exchange for their sanity, but there's no way to go back once you've activated it. 'Busty Blade' here can put together coherent sentences without hurting herself so I'm going to assume she hasn't had her limiter released._

_Well, she's a spirit so–_

Negi turned the blade in his hands and made a lunge toward the elven berserker, slashing in a diagonal arc with a fierce cry of, "Shinmei-ryu style, Stone Cleaving Sword!"

"Heh!" Lucia's grin split terribly wide, appearing feral when she saw the sword coming down on her. It happened quicker than Negi had ever expected; she grasped the handle of her grand daiklave, tearing it away from the ground and swung it around with the twist of her hips and muscular legs in a full rotation, knocking Negi's blade back and off his feet in the process.

"What the hell?!" Negi barely landed back on his feet properly when they touched the ground again. He did a quick inspection of his sword and tried not to let her see his relief. _That was fast!_ A cold sweat began to come over him at the display of her strength. _And the way she hits with that sword. A regular person would have had their arms torn right off!_

"Calling out your attacks, huh?" The berserker teased, standing her sword in the ground once again and leaning against it with a cock of her hips. "That's pretty old school, kid." Her grin relaxed a bit, her bloodlust kept in check again. "And what a large blade. What's the story behind that?"

_You're one to talk._ Negi thought with a clench of his teeth. "You never know when you'll run into a giant." He managed a grin worthy enough to compare to Lucia's.

Chachazero felt herself flutter.

The heroic spirit's appreciation for his response was clear with the purr in her chest. "We're gonna get along just fine!" She pulled her blade free again and lunged swinging her monstrous blade one handed in a downward arc over her head. Negi dodged out of the way letting it smash into the spot his was standing. The street split in half for a good yard underneath the impact before water began gushing out from the long crack.

An irritated twitch came to Sheik's right brow.

Following the attack that almost tore the young vampire in two Lucia gripped the handle with both hands from a crouched stance and whipped around, swinging her sword upward at an angle that should have lopped the young man's neck off.

"Lucia!" Sheik roared before receiving a punch to the face from Xue. He parried the following blow aside, leaning back quickly from a swift roundhouse that the scientist delivered right afterward. "I told you!"

"Yeah, yeah!" The berserker yelled back shooting a nasty look at Negi as though it was his fault. "I want a back rub when we get back!"

"Fine!" The inquisitor shouted back.

"With lotion!" Lucia tacked on, pulling back her sword to look over her shoulder at her fighting master. "And scented candles!"

"Zanmaken ni no tachi!" Not wasting an opportunity, Negi swung his sword in a wide arc.

"Huh?" Lucia returned her attention to him when she heard him cry out. She stared with mild interest when nothing happened. "What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

Negi remained silent, holding his stance like an immovable statue. That's when she heard the unmistakable sound of groaning metal.

"Oh." She turned around to see a light pole already halfway down to crushing her. She reacted admirably, swinging her sword upward in the blink of an eye, however, the distraction was all Negi needed to carry out his true intended strike, jumping in the air.

"Shinmei-ryu style!" He began his downward descent toward the berserker. "Raimeiken!" The nodachi came alive with a crack of divine thunder and Negi slammed it down on Lucia. They were both consumed in a blinding ball of light when the blade connected and there was an explosion, sending out a shockwave that traveled far past the radius.

When the light was gone Negi found himself held in the air with his nodachi still fighting to slice through Lucia's grand daiklave. "Not good." He grunted, keeping his blade steady as it vibrated violently against the berserker's far larger sword, sparks sizzling from the friction in an intense stand off.

The two halves of the falling light pole crashed to the ground scattering a powerful breeze from the force of the impact.

Lucia licked her lips. "You're gonna break a lot of girls hearts when you get older!" She knocked him off with a swing of her sword.

Negi landed gracefully, readying his blade for the incoming strikes. "If they're as rough as you are I'd be more worried about them breaking me!"

"Aren't you the flirt!" She ran forward bringing her sword down on him again.

"Fast!" Negi dodged to the side again.

She ripped her sword from the ground and swung at his neck.

Negi ducked underneath the swing and went in for the slash only to realize that she hadn't pulled back her sword yet.

"Yaah!" She cried out, pulling her blade back with a jerk and tearing into his shoulder with a short spurt of blood to accompany the harsh wound, but Negi surprised her when he merely grit his teeth against the pain in response as opposed to panicking as she had expected him to. "I like that!" She used the force of the pull back to bring her sword into a twirl with one hand and double handed again to slash at the injured magister.

Narrowly avoiding the strike Negi could swear that she was getting faster. _Or am I just getting slower?!_

_Master! _Chachazero called his attention urgently. _She's a berserker, remember?_

Lucia dragged her blade on the ground as she charged Negi leaving a streak of sparks behind her while she gained speed.

_Meaning?! _Negi lifted his blade to defend when she swung her sword overhead again, stopping it with an ear deafening clash. The ground beneath him sank a few inches upon impact.

_A special trait of the berserker class is that they gradually grow stronger the longer they do battle with an opponent! _

Negi's eyes widened at that startling information. _That's insane! She's monstrous enough as it is! _Forcing her off of him he got around her as her sword hit the ground and made to strike at her open back, but–**CLANKTzzzT**_– _She stepped a half turn and struck his blade right out of his hands with a quick swing. The nodachi went swishing through the air behind Negi's back, plunging into the restaurant lawn a fair distance.

"Tough luck, kid!" Lucia laughed.

Negi let out a growl, thoroughly annoyed now. "LET ME THROUGH, DAMMIT!" He charged with abandon.

"Suicidal?" She swung her sword at him coming close to cleaving him in half, but_–_

"OUT OF_–" _Negi jumped, landing on her blade and running the length of it to meet her with a rising kick. "_–MY WAY!" _His heel slammed into her jaw from below, throwing her head back and causing her to stumble off balance. Negi used her face as a stepping stool with his other foot, kicked off her forehead for good measure and landed behind her before continuing his mad charge for Xu and Sheik.

"Son of a bitch!" Lucia covered her nose, glaring at Negi's running back over her shoulder. "Make a fool of me!"

"Xue!" The woman in question heard her name but she ignored the call, keeping the pressure on Sheik with a string of punches and kicks. "Xue!" She heard it again, gritting her teeth at Negi's persistence. She blocked his voice out of her mind, delivering a solid punch to the inquisitor's gut. The man stopped moving when her fist buried itself even deeper into his stomach as if she intended to punch a hole through his back–but then he spoke.

"He cares a great deal for you doesn't he?" The inquisitor questioned in a conversational tone even as blood dripped from the opened cuts on his face.

Xue pulled her fist from his gut and dropped both hands on his shoulders to deliver a knee to his face that knocked him back at few steps, but the man merely stood straight afterward and wiped his mouth of blood. If she was the unstoppable force then this man surely was the immovable object. "What does it matter to an assassin?" She asked, her emotions buried beneath her fists, not her words.

Sheik shrugged his shoulders. "He thinks a great deal more about your future than you do."

"Coming from someone who intends to steal even that from me_–_"

"Xue!" It was too close for her to ignore anymore.

"Negi, would you_–_" Xue's blood ran cold when she turned to face her approaching friend. "Negi!"

Lucia was right on top of him with her sword at the ready to slice him asunder and the berserker didn't appear to even be conscious of the look on her master's face when he realized what she was about to do.

It ended fairly quickly.

"HYAAAH!" Lucia swung her grand daiklave at Negi's midsection but her target was switched at the very last moment. Xue appeared beside Negi wrapping her arms around him and turning her back to take the blow for herself. The blade bit into the scientist's midsection, tearing into her suit with surprising ease, however, it stopped short before it could severe her in two.

Xue, to her credit, only looked to check if Negi was alright before collapsing to the ground with him still clutched to her chest. Her blood coated them both before Negi finally realized what she had done.

"Xue!" Negi worked his arms out of her hold carefully, reaching up to cup her face with both hands while she still laid motionless on top of him. "Xue, answer me!"

One eye opened. "...What?" She asked.

"Is it bad?" He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hurts like a bitch." Xue told him with a little smile. "But, um..." She paused to search for the words she wanted to say, but she was steadily losing blood. Her mind was drifting away quickly and she could feel her eyes beginning to roll back. "...I'm glad you're alright."

"No, no, no." Negi shushed her, working his arms around her as he tried to sit up and find a position most comfortable for her to lay in. "You're going to be fine too." He supported her back with one arm. "Xue."

She stared at him, but she didn't respond.

"Xue?" Negi's voice began to crack. "Don't go."

She blinked. "You'll come for me again?" A tear rolled down her cheek.

He swallowed back the tears that threatened to come forth at that sight of her own. "You know I will." He laughed, stroking her hair so gently he could have been touching the frailest glass. She answered his laugh with a weak chuckle, blood squeezing out of her throat when she did.

"...Course I do." And her eye closed.

Negi stared blankly without another word, unmoving, unblinking. He was afraid to take another breath without her, afraid to let go of her, afraid to turn away in fear that she wouldn't look the same when he turned back to face her, but he knew that this moment couldn't last an eternity. She had left him and time would not turn back for him to make things right again. "Had I only met you sooner..."

"We're done here." Sheik announced in a quiet voice, more to himself than his servant who said not a word in return. The heroic spirit allowed her blade to dissolve into the wind and stood there beside her master. "Let's go home, Lucia."

"No." Sheik and Lucia exchanged a glance before looking to the person that spoke.

Negi bared his fangs and sunk them into Xue's neck drinking deeply of her life essence before pulling back, blood dripping from his mouth in thick crimson threads. "You don't get to walk away from this, inquisitor."

He searched deep within himself; called to the desire for power that always lurked the darkest corners of his soul. He needed it now, the power to avenge his friend.

_What good is all the training that I do if it doesn't grant me the power to protect others?_ A stone dropped into the deepest cavern of the soul, untouched by light, untouched by hope.

_If I have the power to defeat my enemies inside of me all along then shouldn't I put it to use? _The stone dropped down the darkest maw, bouncing off the jagged walls and rolling down the narrowest crevices to fall into even deeper and darker depths.

'_If this power should allow me to vanquish those that would do harm to me and those I love then isn't it my duty to embrace it?_' The stone fell farther into the pit of blackness until finally it crashed through the blackest pond into the darkest reaches of the soul–**_And the beast smiled_**.

**_~...It is heavy, this burden that has fallen to you...~_**

**_~...To avenge a fallen comrade, tis the burden carried by all men and women that honor combat...~_**

**_~...Is it power you seek...~_**

_It is mine? _Negi questioned the voice that rose from the depths of his despair.

_**~...As I said before, I have always been here...~**_

_**~...Dost thou desire the power...~**_

Negi laid Xue down on the ground gently and rose to his feet, taking three steps toward the inquisitor and his familiar. I_ desire nothing else at the moment._

_**~...Then it is yours...~**  
_

"Master..." Lucia's entire body went tense. "That boy, there's something not right about him."

Sheik nodded grimly. "You may want to ready your sword, sweetheart. That kid is carrying something ancient and vile inside of him, something that the mistresses and lords of the moon kissed realm have feared since it was born into the world."

"The taint?" Lucia asked, summoning her great daiklave to her right hand. "The beast?"

"All one and the same I suppose." The inquisitor concurred. "I've never seen it with my own eyes. Regardless, it appears that Negi Springfield shares blood ties with a very powerful individual. Either that or someone really despises his guts. I don't see how else he could have been passed something so dangerous."

A guttural sound escaped Negi Springfield's throat, silencing Sheik and Lucia. It gradually got louder until the young man threw his head back and let out a wail that sounded all but human. His hair, as if resonating with the horrible noise, became disheveled and his eyes took on a crimson burn.

"Master..." Chachazero spoke, her voice strained and filled with pain. "...This...This..." The puppet's pain gradually transformed into an insidious pleasure that invaded her sensibilities. Her master's thoughts and emotions were being tainted and she couldn't hold it back from invading her any longer. In time her eyes burned crimson just as well and a wicked cackle escaped her. "This feels...awesome! I can't get enough of it!"

"SHEIK!" The shackles released, Negi ran forward, no longer running like as a man, but a beast of the foulest darkness. The distance between them was closed quite quickly and when Lucia stepped in to shield her master with her sword it didn't go quite as she planned it.

"Know your place, kid!" She swung the blade down on him only for it to stop shy of its target. "Eh?" She looked closely to find that Negi's hand had stopped it short. The possessed vampire didn't show any visible struggle from the insane maneuver, nor did he appear bothered by the blood that seeped from the cut in his palm. He only stared deep into her eyes and it pissed her off. "You bra–"

_**CRACK!**_

Negi jumped into the air and kicked her grand blade with such force that it broke in half.

Needless to say, the berserker was shocked to see her blade in ruins so easily. "Wha–" A hand reached out and gripped her face before she could react, pulling back with her body following the motion like a rag doll, and throwing her through the brick wall of a nearby shop.

"Lucia!" Sheik stared to where she disappeared expecting her to come out, but there was no movement. "Damn you!" He rushed Negi, slamming a right hook into the vampire's face that sent him stumbling to the side. "Wake up, kid!"

"RAAGH!" Negi countered with a roundhouse that sent the inquisitor spinning from the strike. The vampire rushed in to finish him while the man was stunned, but something else intervened.

"_Fool." _A new warrior stood in his way, appearing from a rift that separated the possessed magister from Sheik; A woman of white porcelain skin and a voluptuous form that was mostly covered by her great mane of ebony hair. Silver belts and chains covered her body, covering her full breasts and acting as a makeshift bikini where her wine colored robes, as scandalous as they were, refused to maintain her modesty; slender, dipping back, wholesome backside and long, statuesque legs. Her beautiful face held no illusion of motion in spite of the harshness of her voice, but her red eyes, dark and vengeful as the ones that Negi possessed now, spoke of a sateless hatred and intent to kill. _"Do you hold such an illusion of power?"_

With lance in hand the woman dipped down into a crouching stance before lunging forward with a stab that would have pierced Negi's side had he not been so quick to turn his body to allow it to jab by. She pulled back her lance, thrusting it with another directed stab and the vampire twisted out of the way again, turning, sidestepping and ducking back the flurry of stabs that followed.

_"Brute." _The woman switched her grip on her lance and whipped it underhand to deliver a rising slash that rose up between Negi's legs, nearly slicing him in two from below. His body dispersed into a flock of bats before her lance could tear into his flesh, all flying together in tandem as if sharing one mind. The black mass of flapping wings separated into two separated flocks, twisting back in a loop before returning to home in on the lance wielding femme fatale. They twisted around each other, creating a drill that shot directly toward her chest.

_"Clever beast!" _She assumed a stance with her lance, summoning up dark energies all around her body that took the form of Baskerville hounds, growling and barking like demons of the underworld. _"Take this!" _She kicked forward, rushing the black drill head on and slicing right through it with her enchanted lance. The bats scattered from the attack and flew upward to regroup into one flock again, flying in an arc that made a nosedive for her.

_"HAH!" _She anticipated the riposte, sending her hound familiars to shoot up and meet the plunging mass of bats. Both dark forces collided, waging their might unto one another until the hounds let out a horrible howl that scattered the flock of bats again.

_...More power..._

_**~...You wish to plunge even deeper...~**  
_

_Yes!_

_**~...Then you shall **_**_receive...~_**

Sheik ran up beside the woman that stopped his assailant from reaching him in his moment of vulnerability. "Widow! Why are you here?!"

"To prevent a sentimental fool from succumbing to a beast." The dark woman replied with no lack of venom. "Drop your guard and this creature may just succeed in stealing your final breath."

"He's not himself!" Sheik argued. "I can't let him be like this!"

"Your life is not your own anymore, Master of Legions, and that thing is not your responsibility." She snarled at him. "Think about that next time you try to reason with a monster." She pointed a hand to the flock of bats that touched down to the street, forming a human figure. "Look, it comes again."

Reassuming human form, Negi gripped his tattered chef jacket with both hand and tore it in two, discarding the two ends to the ground, then without preamble he held both hands out and focused his energies. Light gathered in his right hand and concentrated darkness in his left.

Sheik narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What does he intend to do with–"

Negi slammed both hands together and something else was brought into existence. A maelstrom of chaotic energies came off from the focal point where the dark magisters hands met and–

The inquisitor couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Twilight arts?"

Widow humphed at the sight of the unstable energies that radiated from Negi. "That fool dabbles in arts best left buried."

"**_Stagnet._**" Negi began chanting out loud, taking the chaotic energies into one violently trembling hand. "**_Complexio!_**" He cried out, crushing it into his hand with an explosion of might that billowed Sheik and Widow, forcing them to stand their ground against the surge. "**_Supplementum pro!_**" He took the hand that was clenched around the bursting twilight energies and smashed it into his chest. "**_Armationem...Vires o volatilis rex rgis!_**"

Negi's entire body became dyed in black energies that bonded with his flesh having him resemble a demon as his muscles bulged with new definition. White markings appeared all over his chest in elaborate patterns, twisting from his midsection to his upper torso, spreading over his shoulders and wrapping around his arms. His hair spontaneously grew in length, taking on the properties of conflagrant black flames, and his eyes, crimson before, had gone ink black at the irises and intense white at the pupils.

The beast had revealed itself to the inquisitor and his new partner in all of its unrivaled glory.

...And a faint heartbeat called out to it from the retreating tendrils of death...

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Happy holidays to you all! __This is Traingham, reporting to you all from the end of the world with a new installment of the Fang Vice Addiction series that was thought to be long dead. (A two year hiatus. Heh, heh.) _

_W-Wait! Don't kill me!_

_So it finally happened. A new installment, and hopefully one that will usher in more chapters. Believe me, I want to do this. I pretty much placed everything else on hold for the rest of the year so I could get this chapter out, (I hope to get on to updating "Fate/ Alternate Routes" and a few of my other long neglected series by Janurary) so look forward to it. I am._

_Anyway...this chapter. Yeah, this chapter. I'll just get it out of the way right now while I still have your attention; I haaaaate writing long action scenes. The way I see it, most fights should be over in four paragraphs tops. It's cool to see the hero keep rising back up after taking a beating, or to see the villain exhibit his or her awesome powers, presenting a daunting task for the hero, but sometimes I just feel like saying "Kill em' already". Crack their neck, tear out their spine, gouge their eyes, just end it! Sitting through forty episodes of Dragonball Z as a kid just to see Goku end the fight with a well timed Kamehameha really scarred me for life._

_"Is that the spirt bomb?" I cry as a kid, staring at the screen in horror. "You mean five more episodes of this shit?!"_

_Yeah, but it does a world of good for building tension, doesn't it? I intended to get more content into this chapter, but the fight pushed it on longer than I expected. To fill it in with the rest that I had planned would have likely pushed it far past the 30k word mark, and most readers begin to lose focus by the 15k word mark if the PMs I receive speak for anyone. I'll try to wrap things up in the next chapter and FINALLY move on to the Alice Dalziel Arc, which I'm pretty darn excited to write._

_So much fun to be had! For you! For me! Whooooo! (My sanity? When?)_

_Little Tidbits to add:_

_1) As I mentioned in the story Negi accepted training not only from Evangeline and Ku-Fei, but also Setsuna and Kaede. _

_2) The rat seal (taken directly from Naruto, not that I know much about the show) is used to invoke shadow ninjutsu._

_3) The common blade used by practitioners of the Shinmei-ryu style kenjutsu is the nodachi._

_4)** "Dost Thou Desire the Power?" **- Paying some homage to my favorite RPG villain Grahf (Xenogears)  
_

_5) Magia Erebia comes directly from Negi's dark ego. Those who pay attention to the little details will understand why._

_6) Mistress Beatrix, villain of the 'Dark Evangel' era finally makes her appearance!_

_Also, check back in the next week or so. I plan to post an OMAKE just beneath this author message. (The conversation that Evangeline McDowell and Mana Tatsumiya had in the last chapter. It ties in with Chao Xue's life altering decision, to throw away her chance at killing Sheik to save Negi's life. Turns out she wouldn't have taken it back for the world.) EDIT (JAN/19/2013): So I was in the middle of writing "Full Moon Shuffle" when it occurred to me that I was supposed to have submitted an OMAKE a while back. I apologize for that.  
_

_Take care,_

_Traingham..._

_**P.S**: Some of the events of Fang Vice Addiction will directly affect Full Moon Shuffle. Why you ask? Full Moon Shuffle is an AU of FVA. Basically its the universe where Mana Tatsumiya gets to Negi Springfield before Evangeline gets to him herself. Sure doesn't stop 'Dark Evangel' from trying to fix it though._

_What else is different about Full Moon Shuffle? Nodoka fan-service, that's what. (To show that I love Nodoka just as much as the other girls of Negima.) _

_Yeah, I'm talking to you Negi x Nodoka shippers. A templars bunch, the lot of you._

_Hmm...I can't seem to shake the feeling that I forgot to post something else._

_Eh, whatever._


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